hurtle

verb

hur·​tle ˈhər-tᵊl 

hurtled; hurtling ˈhər-tᵊl-iŋ 

ˈhərt-liŋ

intransitive verb

: to move rapidly or forcefully

transitive verb

: hurl, fling

hurtle noun

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Hurdle vs. Hurtle

Indistinguishable in speech, the words hurtle and hurdle can be a confusing pair.

Hurtle is a verb with two meanings: "to move rapidly or forcefully," as in "The stone was hurtling through the air," and "to hurl or fling," as in "I hurtled the stone into the air." Note that the first use is intransitive: the stone isn't hurtling anything; it itself is simply hurtling. The second use is transitive: something was hurtled—in this case, a stone.

Hurdle is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, its most common meanings have to do with barriers: the ones that runners leap over, and the metaphorical extension of these, the figurative barriers and obstacles we try to similarly overcome. The verb hurdle has two meanings, and they are directly related to these. It can mean "to leap over especially while running," as in "She hurdled the fence," and it can mean "to overcome or surmount," as in "They've had to hurdle significant financial obstacles." The verb hurdle is always transitive; that is, there's always a thing being hurdled, whether it be a physical obstacle or a metaphorical one.

Synonyms of hurtle

• scurry
• rush
• speed
• hurry
• race
• fly
• jump
• drive
• travel
• trot
• chase
• zip
• run
• blow
• scoot
• dart
• scuttle
• buzz

Examples of hurtle in a Sentence

Boulders hurtled down the hill.

We kept to the side of the road as cars and trucks hurtled past us.

The protesters hurtled bottles at the police.

He hurtled himself into the crowd.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ninety miles an hour — and yet no sensation of hurtling through the air. —Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026

Stuck in this box hurtling toward the abyss is Agnes (Coon), who’s been living at a motel on the fringes of Oklahoma City since leaving a violent ex, Jerry (Steve Key). —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026

Ever since it was first spotted hurtling through the solar system, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb has maintained that there’s a chance mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is a technological object sent by an extraterrestrial civilization. —Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026

There is nothing more striking than a powerful dribbler in full flow, chewing up ground, fighting off defenders and hurtling towards goal. —Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hurtlen to collide, frequentative of hurten to cause to strike, hurt

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for hurtle

• fertile
• kirtle
• myrtle
• turtle
• infertile

Kids Definition

hurtle

verb

hur·​tle ˈhərt-ᵊl 

hurtled; hurtling ˈhərt-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to move suddenly or violently

boulders hurtled down the hill

2

: hurl sense 1, fling