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💘 A brief romance 🥎 To throw hard 🥎 A forceful throw 🤸 To move suddenly 🎉 To enjoy freely 🎨 A brief try
to fling

to fling

4 5.8
To do something enjoyable or unusual quickly without planning
  • verb
  • /flɪŋ/
  • Informal
translation icon : entregarse a
  • To celebrate her birthday, she wanted to fling herself into a fun and unusual adventure.

Examples

  • I wanted to fling myself into wonder headlong.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • "Well, I'm off," said Annabel, flinging her arms around Sarah from behind.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • You could dance and fling your arms and maybe even feel love from some direction.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Should I fling myself at you, Pip, who would sense that I bring nothing to you?

    Great Expectations (1946)

  • This time, l'm Karen, and l want to feel your joy... as you fling me around that dance floor.

    A Guy Thing (2003)

  • It's a wonder I don't fling myself at the first kind word or gesture... that comes my way, but I don't!

    The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

  • Well, from what I've heard, you revel in having women flinging themselves at you.

    Strange Victory (1948)

  • After a long week of work, she decided to fling herself into a spontaneous road trip with friends.

  • For the weekend, he wanted to fling himself into painting, something he hadn't tried in years.

Synonyms

to dabble
vsto fling
45 4.8

To try an activity in a casual way without serious effort

is focused on impulsive indulgence for pleasure rather than casual participation
to splurge
vsto fling
  • Informal
19 7.0

To spend a lot of money to treat yourself

is broader indulgence for pleasure often unusual and done impulsively

Antonyms

to restrain
72 4.6

Keep strong feelings under control so you do not act on them

to abstain
18 5.0

To choose not to take something, often for health or religious reasons

Phrasal Verbs

to fling off
  • Informal
7.3

To write something quickly without much effort

Compounds

brief fling
  • NSFW
1 5.5

A short romantic or sexual relationship that does not last long

highland fling
  • UK
7.8

A lively Scottish solo dance with fast steps and kicks

How Indulgent

to fling
  • Informal
4 5.8
to dabble
45 4.8

Surface Forms

fling infinitive
flinging present participle
flings third person singular
flung past
flung past participle

Etymology

Fling can mean to throw yourself into something for pleasure, from the same old meaning 'to throw'. That's why to fling yourself into an activity means to do it quickly and with strong feeling, often without careful thought.