hurl

verb

ˈhər(-ə)l 

hurled; hurling ˈhər-liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: rush, hurtle

2

: pitch sense 5a

3

: vomit

transitive verb

1

: to send or thrust with great vigor

… the forces that were to be hurled against the Turks …

—N. T. Gilroy

2

: to throw down with violence

3

a

: to throw forcefully : fling

hurled the manuscript into the fire

hurled myself over the fence

b

: pitch sense 2a

4

: to utter with vehemence

hurled insults at the police

hurl noun

hurler

ˈhər-lər 

noun

Synonyms of hurl

• vomit

Choose the Right Synonym for hurl

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 hurl in a Sentence

Someone hurled a rock through the window.

He hurled a chair at me.

It looked like she was going to hurl herself down the stairs.

The protesters hurled insults at us.

Recent Examples on the Web

Loaded trucks plodded through the crowd with people in their cargo beds throwing tomatoes at the revelers — who, in turn, hurled them at one another. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026

When a massive riot erupted at Soledad on Cinco de Mayo in 1968, Trejo hurled a rock that smashed a prison guard in the head. — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026

In June, a crowd packed into Italie Deux, a Paris shopping center owned by Ikea’s real estate arm, to watch adults hurl pillows at each other in a padded ring. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026

The person hurled the toy during the third quarter of the Dream’s 124-88 win, recalling a trend that began last season when objects were thrown onto the court at various games. — Zach Powell, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing hurl

• throw/hurl/toss a monkey wrench into

Rhymes for hurl

• burl
• churl
• earl
• girl
• merl
• merle
• perle
• swirl
• twirl
• whirl
• whorl
• cowgirl

Kids Definition

hurl

verb

ˈhər(-ə)l 

hurled; hurling ˈhər-liŋ 

1

: to throw violently or powerfully

2

: pitch entry 3 sense 6a

3

: vomit entry 2

hurler

ˈhər-lər 

noun