sling

1 of 4

verb (1)

slung ˈsləŋ How to pronounce sling (audio) ; slinging ˈsliŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sling (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to cast with a sudden and usually sweeping or swirling motion
slung the sack over my shoulder
2
: to throw with or as if with a sling
slinging punches
political campaigners slinging mud
3
: to serve (food) to a customer
had a job slinging hamburgers
slinger noun

sling

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: an instrument for throwing stones that usually consists of a short strap with strings fastened to its ends and is whirled round to discharge its missile by centrifugal force
2
a
: a usually looped line (as of strap, chain, or rope) used to hoist, lower, or carry something
especially : a hanging bandage suspended from the neck to support an arm or hand
b
: a chain or rope attached to a lower yard at the middle and passing around a mast near the masthead to support a yard
c
: a chain hooked at the bow and stern of a boat for lowering or hoisting
d
: a device (such as a rope net) for enclosing material to be hoisted by a tackle or crane
3
: a slinging or hurling of or as if of a missile

sling

3 of 4

verb (2)

slung ˈsləŋ How to pronounce sling (audio) ; slinging ˈsliŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sling (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to place in a sling for hoisting or lowering
2
: to suspend by or as if by a sling

sling

4 of 4

noun (2)

: an alcoholic drink that is served hot or cold and that usually consists of liquor, sugar, lemon juice, and plain or carbonated water
gin sling
rum sling
Choose the Right Synonym for sling

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 sling in a Sentence

Verb (1) slinging stones at the fence post Verb (2) sling a hammock between the trees
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Younger workers, particularly Gen Z, were more likely to sling and understand jargon. Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 Both teams came out slinging long passes and making great catches, on the sidelines, over the shoulder, sliding across the turf. Martin Henderson, Orange County Register, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
The pictures in his yearbook reflect this hodgepodge: A senior poses with a private plane and red sports car rented by his father, while another in camouflage military dress slings a hunting rifle over his shoulders. Nico Lang, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024 But the functioning of your pelvic floor—that sling of muscles running from your pubic bone to your tailbone—likely plays a role in making queefing more or less likely to happen. Erica Sloan, SELF, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sling 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, probably from Old Norse slyngva to hurl; akin to Old English & Old High German slingan to worm, twist, Lithuanian slinkti

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1768, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sling was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sling

Cite this Entry

“Sling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sling. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sling

1 of 3 verb
slung ˈsləŋ How to pronounce sling (audio) ; slinging ˈsliŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sling (audio)
1
: to throw with a sudden sweeping motion
slung the sweater over her shoulder
2
: to throw with a sling
slinger noun

sling

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a short strap with strings fastened to its ends that is whirled round to throw something (as a stone)
b
2
: something (as a rope or chain) used to hoist, lower, support, or carry something
especially : a bandage hanging from the neck to support an arm or hand
3
: a slinging or hurling of or as if of a missile

sling

3 of 3 verb
slung ˈsləŋ How to pronounce sling (audio) ; slinging ˈsliŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sling (audio)
1
: to put in or move or support with a sling
2
: to hang from two points
sling a hammock

Medical Definition

sling

noun
1
: a hanging bandage suspended from the neck to support an arm or hand
2
: a harness especially constructed for supporting a sick animal in a standing position

More from Merriam-Webster on sling

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