threw

A child threw a red ball to his friend in the park.

Definition

Verb (past tense of throw): 1. To propel something through the air using a sudden motion of the arm and hand. - She threw the ball to her teammate. 2. To cause something to fall or be displaced forcefully. - The horse threw its rider off. 3. To direct or cast something (e.g., light, a glance, or words) in a particular direction. - He threw a suspicious look at the stranger. 4. To put someone or something into a specified state or position suddenly or violently. - The news threw her into a panic.

Usage Examples

• (Propelled through the air.)
• (Caused to fall.)
• (Organized an event; informal usage.)
• (Directed light.)

Advanced Usage

• "threw caution to the wind": to act recklessly without considering risks.
  • He threw caution to the wind and invested all his savings. (Acted without care.)
• "threw a fit": to have a sudden outburst of anger or frustration.
  • She threw a fit when she saw the broken vase. (Became very upset.)
• "threw in the towel": to give up or admit defeat.
  • After hours of arguing, he finally threw in the towel. (Surrendered.)

Variants and Related Words

• Throw (verb, present tense): the base form of the action.
  • I throw the ball every day.
• Thrown (past participle): used with auxiliary verbs.
  • She has thrown the ball far.
• Thrower (noun): a person who throws.
  • The thrower aimed carefully at the target.

Synonyms

• Hurl: to throw with great force.
• Toss: to throw lightly or casually.
• Fling: to throw with a sudden, sweeping motion.
• Lob: to throw in a high arc.

Phrasal Verbs

• Throw away: to discard something as useless.
  • He threw away the old newspapers. (Disposed of.)
• Throw out: to remove or expel; to reject.
  • They threw out the broken chair. (Removed from the house.)
• Throw up: to vomit; to produce or raise quickly.
  • She threw up after eating spoiled food. (Vomited.)
• Throw off: to get rid of or escape from.
  • He threw off his cold after a week. (Recovered from illness.)

Related Idioms

• Throw the book at someone: to punish someone as severely as possible.
  • The judge threw the book at the repeat offender. (Gave the maximum penalty.)
• Throw someone under the bus: to betray or sacrifice someone for one's own benefit.
  • He threw his colleague under the bus to save his job. (Blaming the colleague.)
• Throw cold water on something: to discourage or dampen enthusiasm.
  • The manager threw cold water on the new proposal. (Discouraged it.)