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Webster 1913 Edition

Fling

Fling

(flĭng)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Flung
(flŭng)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Flinging
.]
[OE.
flingen
,
flengen
, to rush, hurl; cf. Icel.
flengia
to whip, ride furiously, OSw.
flenga
to strike, Sw.
flänga
to romp, Dan.
flenge
to slash.]
1.
To cast, send, to throw from the hand; to hurl; to dart; to emit with violence as if thrown from the hand;
as, to
fing
a stone into the pond
.
’T is Fate that
flings
the dice: and, as she
flings
,
Of kings makes peasants, and of peasants kings.
Dryden.
He . . . like Jove, his lighting
flung
.
Dryden.
I know thy generous temper well.
Fling
but the appearance of dishonor on it,
It straight takes fire.
Addison.
2.
To shed forth; to emit; to scatter.
The sun begins to
fling

His flaring beams.
Milton.
Every beam new transient colors
flings
.
Pope.
3.
To throw; to hurl; to throw off or down; to prostrate; hence, to baffle; to defeat;
as, to
fling
a party in litigation
.
His horse started,
flung
him, and fell upon him.
Walpole.
To fling about
,
to throw on all sides; to scatter.
–
To fling away
,
to reject; to discard.

–
To fling down
.
(a)
To throw to the ground; esp., to throw in defiance, as formerly knights cast a glove into the arena as a challenge.
(b)
To overturn; to demolish; to ruin.
–
To fling in
,
to throw in; not to charge in an account; as, in settling accounts, one party flings in a small sum, or a few days' work.
–
To fling off
,
to baffle in the chase; to defeat of prey; also, to get rid of.
Addison.
–
To fling open
,
to throw open; to open suddenly or with violence; as, to fling open a door.
–
To fling out
,
to utter; to speak in an abrupt or harsh manner; as, to fling out hard words against another.
–
To fling up
,
to relinquish; to abandon; as, to fling up a design.

Fling

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To throw; to wince; to flounce;
as, the horse began to kick and
fling
.
2.
To cast in the teeth; to utter abusive language; to sneer;
as, the scold began to flout and
fling
.
3.
To throw one's self in a violent or hasty manner; to rush or spring with violence or haste.
And crop-full, out of doors he
flings
.
Milton.
I
flung
closer to his breast,
As sword that, after battle,
flings
to sheath.
Mrs. Browning.
To fling out
,
to become ugly and intractable; to utter sneers and insinuations.

Fling

,
Noun.
1.
A cast from the hand; a throw; also, a flounce; a kick;
as, the
fling
of a horse
.
2.
A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm.
I, who love to have a
fling
,
Both at senate house and king.
Swift.
3.
A kind of dance;
as, the Highland
fling
.
4.
A trifing matter; an object of contempt.
[Obs.]
England were but a
fling

Save for the crooked stick and the gray goose wing.
Old Proverb.
To have one's fling
,
to enjoy one's self to the full; to have a season of dissipation.
J. H. Newman.
“When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of pleasure.”
D. Jerrold.

Webster 1828 Edition

Fling

FLING

,
Verb.
T.
pret. and pp. flung. [L. lego legare.]
1.
To cast, send or throw from the hand; to hurl; as, to fling a stone at a bird.
Tis fate that flings the dice; and as she flings,
Of kings makes peasants, and of peasants, kings.
2.
To dart; to cast with violence; to send forth.
He - like Jove, his lightning flung.
3.
To send forth; to emit; to scatter.
Every beam new transient colors flings.
4.
To throw; to drive by violence.
5.
To throw to the ground; to prostrate.
The wrestler flung his antagonist.
6.
To baffle; to defeat; as, to fling a party in litigation.
To fling away, to reject; to discard.
Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition.
1.
To fling down, to demolish; to ruin.
2.
To throw to the ground.
To fling out, to utter; to speak; as, to fling out hard words against another.
To fling off, to baffle in the chase, to defeat of prey.
To fling in, to throw in; to make an allowance or deduction, or not to charge in an account. In settling accounts, one party flings in a small sum, or a few days work.
To fling open, to throw open; to open suddenly or with violence; as, to fling open a door.
To fling up, to relinquish; to abandon; as, to fling up a design.

FLING

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To flounce; to wince; to fly into violent and irregular motions. The horse began to kick and fling.
2.
To cast in the teeth; to utter harsh language; to sneer; to upbraid. The scold began to flout and fling.
To fling out, to grow unruly or outrageous.

FLING

,
Noun.
1.
A throw; a cast from the hand.
2.
A gibe; a sneer; a sarcasm; a severe or contemptuous remark.
I, who love to have a fling,
Both at senate house and king.

Definition 2024

fling

fling

English

Noun

fling ‎(plural flings)

  1. An act of throwing, often violently.
  2. An act of moving the limbs or body with violent movements, especially in a dance.
    the fling of a horse
  3. An act or period of unrestrained indulgence.
    • D. Jerrold
      When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of pleasure.
  4. A short, often sexual, relationship.
    I had a fling with a girl I met on holiday.
  5. (figuratively) An attempt, a try (as in "give it a fling").
  6. (obsolete) A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm.
    • Jonathan Swift
      I, who love to have a fling, / Both at senate house and king.
  7. A kind of dance.
    the Highland fling
  8. (obsolete) A trifing matter; an object of contempt.
    • Old proverb
      England were but a fling / Save for the crooked stick and the grey goose wing.

Synonyms

Translations

act of moving the limbs or body with violent movements
  • Finnish: sätkiminen (fi), sätke

Verb

fling ‎(third-person singular simple present flings, present participle flinging, simple past and past participle flung)

  1. (transitive) To throw with violence or quick movement; to hurl.
    • Dryden
      'Tis Fate that flings the dice: and, as she flings, / Of kings makes peasants, and of peasants kings.
    • Addison
      I know thy generous temper well. / Fling but the appearance of dishonour on it, / It straight takes fire.
    • 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France
      Wilkinson was struggling, sending the re-start straight into touch and flinging a pass the same way, and France then went close to the first try of the contest as Clerc took a long pass out on the left and was just bundled into touch by the corner flag.
  2. (intransitive, archaic) To throw oneself in a violent or hasty manner; to rush or spring with violence or haste.
    • Milton
      And crop-full, out of doors he flings.
    • Elizabeth Browning
      I flung closer to his breast, / As sword that, after battle, flings to sheath.
  3. (intransitive, archaic) To throw; to wince; to flounce.
    • Helen Crocket, The Ettrick Shepherd's Last Tale
      The horse flung most potently, making his heels fly aloft in the air.
  4. (intransitive, archaic) To utter abusive language; to sneer.
    The scold began to flout and fling.

Translations

Etymology

From Old Norse flengja.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈflɪŋ/
  • Rhymes: -ɪŋ

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