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

Panic ensues to the tune of several Abba songs when Donna (Meryl Streep) learns her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) invited three of her past flings to her wedding. — Alexis Jones And Deanna Janes, Harper's BAZAAR, "21 Rom-Coms to Stream on Netflix this Valentine's Day," 13 Feb. 2019 After a banner 2017, SpaceX decided to one-up itself in 2018 by launching the world’s most powerful rocket, which flung a sports car beyond the orbit of Mars. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: SpaceX," 29 Dec. 2018 Matthew Stanizzi’s daughter lost recently at card game Old Maid and flung herself on the couch in a crying fit. — Greg Bensinger, WSJ, "Why Do Parents Cheat at Family Board Games? To Lose as Fast as Possible," 18 Apr. 2018 Her dialogue is a series of pine cones flung at rosy cheeks. — Dwight Garner, New York Times, "Ali Smith’s Seasonal Cycle Turns to a Dreamy ‘Winter’," 8 Jan. 2018 First went the cloth napkins, flung aside in favor of paper towels. — Liz Krieger, Town & Country, "You Probably Don’t Own Enough Towels, According to an Expert," 22 Feb. 2019 Whereas Levi’s took a subtle approach, menswear designers are now stitching pockets on garments with the abandon of Jackson Pollock flinging paint on canvas. — Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "Think Your Clothes Have Enough Pockets? Think Again," 6 Sep. 2018 In the second half of Cleveland’s Game 4 rout in the 2017 N.B.A. finals, LeBron James flung the ball off the backboard underhanded from behind the free-throw line and dunked home the ball off the glass. — Scott Cacciola, New York Times, "Kevin Durant Pulls Warriors Closer to Another N.B.A. Title," 7 June 2018 Puig flung the ball to second for a crucial double play. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Kenley Jansen gets back into rhythm, and the Dodgers beat the Giants 2-1 in 10 innings," 9 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In other words, the balloon sleeve wasn’t just a summertime fashion fling, and these 17 knit versions prove just as much. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Pouf! Just Like That, the Balloon-Sleeved Sweater Is Back for Winter," 12 Nov. 2018 Vegas would have given the Minnesota Vikings better odds to win their NFC Divisional playoff game on a last-gasp fling and a prayer. — Gary D'amato, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "D'Amato: Ice, ice, baby: Olympic speedskater Erin Jackson on a fast learning curve," 16 Jan. 2018 The fling must have been short-lived, though, as IMDB claims Wilmer was only on the series for four episodes from 2016-2017. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Molly McCook Made a Surprise Appearance on 'The Ranch' and Everyone Missed It," 22 Dec. 2018 So, Tyler packs his myriad of weapons into his car and heads to the LHS spring fling to unleash his rage and anguish into the world, punishing both the people who hurt him and those completely not involved in Tyler's assault. — refinery29.com, "The Cutest Instagram Photos Of The 13 Reasons Why Cast," 22 May 2018 Consider the original, where young and loved-up Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) invites her mother’s three summer flings to her wedding (which happens to be on the fictional Greek island Kalokairi) in a bid to figure out which one is her father. — Ella Donald, Glamour, "The Surprising Sex Positivity of Mamma Mia," 23 July 2018 That about covers his formative adolescent years, which is a difficult stage in life for anyone, let alone someone whose every move and young-love fling is being documented by the media. — refinery29.com, "You Won't Believe How Much Justin Bieber's Hair Has Changed," 10 July 2018 In the fall of 2017, around the time of Drake and Hadid's fling, Tesfaye and Selena Gomez publicly broke up. — Isabel Greenberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Drake Pretty Much Confirmed He Dated Bella Hadid on His New Album," 29 June 2018 The tweet was first reported on by Page Six, which was also the first outlet to report on the pair’s alleged fling. — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Aubrey O’Day Admitted to Having a 'Crush' on Donald Trump Jr. in Celebrity Apprentice Clip," 23 Mar. 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.