to spring
- verb
- /sprɪŋ/
- Emile used the extra energy to hit the wall and spring forward, diving straight for his adversary.
- spring to one's feet
And Peter, AKA Wildman, just springs across the road, all smiles.
- And Peter, AKA Wildman, just springs across the road, all smiles.
- And then she springs on him and everybody else.
Examples
-
After hearing the loud noise, the children sprang out of their seats in excitement.
-
Another cheerleader leaped through the door and sprang over to kneel beside the first.
Fiction book (1991) -
And then she springs on him and everybody else.
-
We're here to spring ya, Woody!
-
He was like, well, if I have to spring into action, I want to be ready to go.
-
If necessary, however, it will dash away across the snow, springing on its outsize hind feet.
Academic text (1991) -
Closer inspection usually roused a wombat, which would spring to its feet, breathing vigorously.
Academic text (1995) -
Immediately, the little lizard sprang up, leaping over Grant's head into Tim's arms.
Fiction book (1990) -
The cat sprang onto the table to reach the bird on the windowsill.
-
When the starting gun went off, the runners sprang forward as quickly as they could.
Synonyms
To push yourself off the ground with your legs into the air
To make a sudden small movement when surprised or afraid
To make something open or appear quickly
To move quickly away from a surface after hitting it, moving up and down in a springy way
To move something suddenly and sharply
To jump quickly from one place to another or make something jump
Enter or appear suddenly with energy
To move by light hops in a playful way
To move suddenly and unsteadily, often forward or to one side
To move forward in large jumping steps
To move yourself suddenly and forcefully, often without control
To move in a sudden, rough way
To move very quickly for a short time
To jump up quickly and lightly
To move or act suddenly with more speed for a short time
To start moving suddenly and very fast from a stop
To move or grow upward quickly
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
An energetic way of walking that shows happiness or confidence
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
Practice and games in spring for baseball teams before the regular season starts
A small fried snack filled with vegetables and sometimes meat, often served as an appetizer
- Specialized
A long metal wire shaped into a spiral that pushes back to absorb shock in cars or mattresses
A time in early spring when day and night are about the same length, around March 21 in the north
A small North American tree frog that makes a very high, thin call near ponds in spring
- Informal
A young person who has little experience, sometimes used with no to say someone is not young
A bed surface filled with metal springs that supports your body while you sleep
A small plant with slender leaves and pink flowers that blooms in early spring
- Specialized
A part that uses compressed air to absorb bumps and vibrations in vehicles and machines
A small secret pocket with a spring that holds small valuable items inside clothing
- Specialized
A wire coiled into a spiral that stores and releases energy to make things turn
Time in spring when pollen is high and many people sneeze or have itchy eyes
- Specialized
A tool that measures weight using a metal spring and shows it on a scale
A small North American plant with two thick leaves, pink or white flowers, and a small edible underground bulb
- Specialized
A caterpillar that eats leaves from trees like elm and maple in early spring
- Specialized
A small green or brown animal that lives near ponds and wet places and croaks
- NSFW
A hidden device set to shoot as a trap when someone touches or moves something near it
- Specialized
A small plant with curved prickly stems that stick to clothes and animal fur
- Specialized
A small tool that measures weight or force by how much a metal coil stretches
A small bushy plant with violet-blue flowers like a pea that blooms in spring
- UK
A climbing or bushy plant with purple-blue flowers grown to feed animals and make soil richer
A small wild plant that comes back every year with low thick leaves and small white flowers with pink edges
How Sudden
Surface Forms
Etymology
Spring as a verb meaning to move quickly comes from an old word for 'to jump' or 'burst forth'. That is why we say something 'springs' when it moves suddenly or jumps.