flung
Definition
- Verb (past tense and past participle of "fling"):
- To have thrown or cast something forcefully: "flung" describes the action of propelling an object with sudden or vigorous motion.
- To have moved oneself abruptly: Used reflexively, it indicates a quick, often emotional movement of one's body.
- To have emitted or released suddenly: Can refer to sounds, scents, or words being expressed with force.
Usage Examples
- Physical throwing:
- She flung the ball across the field. (She threw the ball with great force.)
- Self-movement:
- He flung himself onto the sofa in exhaustion. (He dropped his body onto the sofa suddenly.)
- Emitting something:
- The flowers flung their fragrance into the air. (The flowers released their scent suddenly.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be flung into": to be forced into a situation abruptly.
- The country was flung into chaos after the earthquake. (The nation was suddenly plunged into disorder.)
- "to have flung caution to the wind": to act recklessly without regard for safety.
- She flung caution to the wind and quit her job. (She abandoned all caution and resigned impulsively.)
Variants and Related Words
- Fling (verb, present tense): the base form of the word.
- I fling the door open every morning. (I push the door open forcefully.)
- Fling (noun): a short period of enjoyment or a brief romantic affair.
- They had a summer fling. (They had a short, casual romantic relationship.)
Synonyms
- Hurled: thrown with great force.
- Tossed: thrown lightly or casually.
- Catapulted: propelled through the air as if from a catapult.
Phrasal Verbs
- Flung out: to expel or eject suddenly.
- He was flung out of the club for misbehaving. (He was forcefully removed from the club.)
- Flung off: to remove something quickly or violently.
- She flung off her coat and sat down. (She removed her coat hastily.)
Related Idioms
- Flung into the deep end: forced to deal with a difficult situation without preparation.
- The new intern was flung into the deep end on her first day. (She was given a challenging task immediately.)
- Flung a tantrum: an informal expression meaning to have a fit of anger.
- The child flung a tantrum in the store. (The child had a sudden outburst of anger.)