fling

1 of 2

verb

flung ˈfləŋ How to pronounce fling (audio) ; flinging ˈfliŋ-iŋ How to pronounce fling (audio)

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

1
a
: 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
flinger noun

fling

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of flinging
2
a
: a casual try or involvement
b
: a casual or brief love affair
3
: a period devoted to self-indulgence
Choose the Right Synonym for fling

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
Putin, a former KGB spy, was just 46 when he was flung to the top level of politics in 1999, plucked from relative obscurity by an ailing Boris Yeltsin to serve as Russian prime minister and soon became acting president. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 The key to life is flinging yourself into life without a plan and being open to living that way. Alix Strauss, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 The difference is that the Ukrainians are flinging thousands of tiny drones at Russian troops assaulting the city. David Axe, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Want to fire up your boat and spend the day flinging top-water plastics to hungry largemouth bass? Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 But this policy may rebound on the Pakistani government, succeeding only in causing further chaos—all while turning human beings into a political football to be flung across the border. Aqil Shah, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2024 In the 48 hours between Thursday, the storm — California’s strongest of the year thus far — flung two to four feet of snow across the mountains. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 While the Ukrainians somewhat have compensated by flinging as many as 50,000 explosives-laden first-person-view drones every month for several months now, an FPV drone can’t fully replace a 155-millimeter shell. David Axe, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 At the dining table, Bella childishly flings kippers at Max. Craigh Barboza, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024
Noun
But after a brief fling with Ethan, Brittan returned to James’s bed, and the two earned a green light (and kiss) from Lana on their romantic final date. Charlotte Walsh, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024 In the film, which Neon is releasing later in the spring, Glazer plays Eden, who becomes pregnant from a brief but intense fling and decides to raise the baby on her own. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Still, travelers across the U.S. are expected to come out in droves for the annual spring fling, with travel volume ahead of spring break up 6% compared to the same time period in 2023, according to the TSA. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 Her relationship with Shriver was, after all, a fling. Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2024 If this is a fling, don’t start talking about kids. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2024 Hulu is preparing to crack down on subscribers who share their logins with family, friends and former flings, following similar moves by competitors such as Netflix and Disney+. Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 1 Feb. 2024 Coming up, a fling on a work trip, not at a windswept singles resorts, but at a conference hotel in Toronto. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Feb. 2024 During Thursday's Southern Charm season 9 reunion, Taylor Ann Green took it upon herself to bring the former fling to light. Lanford Beard, Peoplemag, 12 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fling.' 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 and Noun

Middle English, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse flengja to whip

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near fling

Cite this Entry

“Fling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fling. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fling

1 of 2 verb
flung ˈfləŋ How to pronounce fling (audio) ; flinging ˈfliŋ-iŋ How to pronounce fling (audio)
1
: to move in an abrupt or headlong manner
flung out of the room in a huff
2
: to kick or plunge vigorously
the horse flung out at him as he went by
3
a
: to throw or swing with force
flung herself down on the couch
b
: to cast aside : discard
4
: to put suddenly and unexpectedly into a state or condition
flung into confusion
flinger noun

fling

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act or instance of flinging
2
: a casual try or involvement
3
: a time of freedom for pleasure

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