fling

verb

\ˈfliŋ

flung\ ˈfləŋ

\; flinging\ ˈfliŋ-iŋ

Definition of fling

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to move in a brusque or headlong manner flung out of the room in a rage

2 of an animal : to kick or plunge vigorously

3 Scotland : caper

transitive verb

1a : to throw forcefully, impetuously, or casually flung herself down on the sofa clothes were flung on the floor

b : to cast as if by throwing flung off all restraint

2 : to place or send suddenly and unceremoniously (see unceremonious sense 2) was arrested and flung into prison

3 : to give unrestrainedly flung himself into music

fling

noun

Definition of fling (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act or instance of flinging

2a : a casual try or involvement

b : a casual or brief love affair

3 : a period devoted to self-indulgence

Other Words from fling Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about fling

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Choose the Right Synonym for fling

Verb

throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force. throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm. can throw a fastball and a curve cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering. cast it to the winds toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion. tossed the coat on the bed fling stresses a violent throwing. flung the ring back in his face hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight. hurled himself at the intruder pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target. pitch horseshoes sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim. slung the bag over his shoulder

Examples of fling in a Sentence

Verb

He flung his shoe across the room. She flung the door open and stormed into the room. They flung their hats into the air. She flung herself into his arms. He flung his arms around her. I flung back my head and laughed. He leaned back and flung his leg over the arm of the chair. She flung herself onto the couch.

Noun

She had a fling with her boss. They had time for one last fling before going back to school.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Tens of thousands of people will gather to see dead fish competitively flung across the Alabama-Florida State Line; other attractions will include the Mr. Mullet Toss Hot Body Contest and the Miss Mullet Toss Bikini Contest. — Lawrence Specker, AL.com, "Flora-Bama presents Mullet Toss rules to remember," 13 Apr. 2018 The dogs, however, focused on the toy being flung through the air. — Lindsey Salvatelli, Lake County News-Sun, "High-flying dogs make a splash at Libertyville Dog Days," 8 July 2018 The Eagles will continue to spread opposing defenses with sets of four and five wide receivers, flinging the ball to each and every one of them. — Rick Armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, "Air apparent: Aurora Christian coaches grooming sophomore Ethan Hampton to power passing attack," 14 July 2018 There is Niro’s portrait of her mother, who strikes a pose on the trunk of a car, her arm flung coyly behind her head. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Unprecedented Billboard Campaign Puts Spotlight on Indigenous Artists in Canada," 13 July 2018 The suspects were subjected to mock executions and electric shock and beaten with telephone books as their interrogators flung racial epithets at them. — Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY, "Judge orders release of accused Chicago cop killer while he awaits new trial," 22 June 2018 Whereas Shanghai is picky about granting permits to migrants, Nanjing, to its west, has flung its doors open to university graduates. — The Economist, "China is trying to turn itself into a country of 19 super-regions," 21 June 2018 Places where our own love-hate relationship with wild animals flings open the door for the unexpected. — Aditi Shrikant, BostonGlobe.com, "When wild animals urbanize," 13 July 2018 Puig retrieved the one-out double and flung the ball home to keep Zobrist at third base. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Yasiel Puig’s play is not a pretty picture in 9-4 loss to Cubs," 27 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Kendall Jenner seems to be moving on pretty quickly from her summer fling with basketball player Ben Simmons. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Are Kendall Jenner and Anwar Hadid Dating? Here's Everything We Know," 7 Sep. 2018 Their weekend fling then turned into several trips around the world: India! — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Did Nick Jonas Just Confirm His Engagement to Priyanka Chopra?," 9 Aug. 2018 Audience obsession over the romantic lives of celebrities spans across popular media, whether there’s gossip about Drake’s latest fling or forensic investigations of the latest Taylor Swift album for evidence of new flames. — Patricia Hernandez, The Verge, "For women on Twitch, disclosing their relationship status is a minefield," 8 Aug. 2018 The culprit: Disick's inability to stay away from past flings. — The Editors, Cosmopolitan, "Bella Thorne Left Cannes After Pictures Emerged of Scott Disick Kissing His Ex," 26 May 2017 The culprit: Disick's inability to stay away from past flings. — Seventeen, "Scott Disick Hung Out With An Ex After Arriving in Cannes with Bella Thorne," 26 May 2017 Their fling never blossomed into a serious relationship, and things cooled down between them after two months of casually dating. — Heran Mamo, Billboard, "A Timeline of Justin Bieber's Dating History," 10 July 2018 The film stars Andrew Garfield as an L.A. resident who, after a one-night fling with a neighbor, wakes up the next day to find her missing. — Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, "A24 Pushes 'Under the Silver Lake' Release by Six Months," 1 June 2018 The sewage crisis has given Mia Mottley, the opposition leader, plenty of muck to fling. — The Economist, "Barbados’s mucky election," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.