Library / English Dictionary

FLING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: flung   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of flinging

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("fling" is a kind of...):

throw (the act of throwing (propelling something with a rapid movement of the arm and wrist))

Derivation:

fling (throw with force or recklessness)

fling (throw or cast away)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A brief indulgence of your impulses

Synonyms:

fling; spree

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("fling" is a kind of...):

intemperance; intemperateness; self-indulgence (excess in action and immoderate indulgence of bodily appetites, especially in passion or indulgence)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fling"):

spending spree (a brief period of extravagant spending)

Derivation:

fling (indulge oneself)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A usually brief attempt

Example:

I gave it a whirl

Synonyms:

crack; fling; go; offer; pass; whirl

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("fling" is a kind of...):

attempt; effort; endeavor; endeavour; try (earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Throw with force or recklessness

Example:

fling the frisbee

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "fling" is one way to...):

throw (propel through the air)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fling"):

flip; pitch; sky; toss (throw or toss with a light motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

fling (the act of flinging)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move in an abrupt or headlong manner

Example:

He flung himself onto the sofa

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fling" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Throw or cast away

Example:

Put away your worries

Synonyms:

cast aside; cast away; cast out; chuck out; discard; dispose; fling; put away; throw away; throw out; toss; toss away; toss out

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "fling" is one way to...):

get rid of; remove (dispose of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fling"):

unlearn (discard something previously learnt, like an old habit)

deep-six; give it the deep six (toss out; get rid of)

jettison (throw away, of something encumbering)

junk; scrap; trash (dispose of (something useless or old))

waste (get rid of)

dump (throw away as refuse)

retire (dispose of (something no longer useful or needed))

abandon (forsake, leave behind)

liquidize; sell out; sell up (sell or get rid of all one's merchandise)

de-access (dispose of by selling)

close out (terminate by selling off or disposing of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

fling (the act of flinging)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Indulge oneself

Example:

I splurged on a new TV

Synonyms:

fling; splurge

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "fling" is one way to...):

consume; squander; ware; waste (spend extravagantly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

fling (a brief indulgence of your impulses)

Credits

 Context examples: 

He baled wildly at first, splashing himself and flinging the water so short a distance that it ran back into the pool.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I sprang out of bed and flung open the shutters.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Running behind the carriage in the outskirts of San Jose, he encountered certain small boys who made a practice of flinging stones at him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Even as we looked, he sprang upon the back of the fugitive and flung his arms round his neck.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I will after him,” said Aylward, flinging himself into the saddle.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As he came down the great staircase at last, after Mrs. Rochester had flung herself from the battlements, there was a great crash—all fell.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

With these thrilling words he rushed away, and flinging open the door of the mauve salon, was about to enter, when he received...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He does not give the least fling at Benwick; does not so much as say, 'I wonder at it, I have a reason of my own for wondering at it.'

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Then she flung it through the open lattice, and we heard the crash of it on the path outside.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“They liked a bit o' fun, they did. They wasn't so high and dry, nohow, but took their fling, like jolly companions every one.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)