↔️ To move back and forth ↔️ A back-and-forth movement ⚾ To hit with force ⚾ A strong hit 🏃 Active period 🪁 A seat for swinging 🎷 Lively jazz style 🎷 To play with rhythm 🗳️ To influence result 🔄 To change quickly 🎉 To party 🔄 To swap partners 💃 A dance move

to swing

221 1.5

Move the arm in a wide sweep to try to hit something

verb
/swɪŋ/

: golpear

Every time i swung a hammer in yuma, i was aiming at that target.
swing the bat
swing the torso
swing a sword

When Keith swings the broomstick and hits me in the stomach.

Autoplay Next

Examples

Bottom of the third, Cerrano swings and misses, strike three.

Major League (1989)
I jabbed with my left, then I swung with a right--

The Jungle Book (1967)
He'll swing at the first pitch!

Killer Waves 2 (2020)
You weren't really gonna swing at me last night, were you?

Demon Slayer (2003)
Paralyzed by the thought that he might swing and miss, he never took the bat off his shoulder.

Academic text (2010)
He just takes his baseball bat and he swings it.

Bully (2001)
Swing at me, Jerry!

The Accountant² (2025)
When Keith swings the broomstick and hits me in the stomach.

The Basement Yard
Voss comes out swinging.

Here Comes the Boom (2012)
Make sure to swing your bat correctly to hit the ball.

Synonyms

to hit

vsto swing

∞ 1.0

To strike someone or something with force

focuses on a wide arm movement rather than mere impact

to strike

vsto swing

553 2.4

To hit someone or something with force

is about a sweeping arm or object motion rather than force

to slap

vsto swing

492 1.0

Hit quickly with the flat part of the hand

uses a broader arm sweep rather than a quick flat hand strike

to punch

vsto swing

455 1.4

To hit someone or something quickly with a closed fist

uses a wide sweeping arm motion instead of a tight fist blow

to slam

vsto swing

323 2.3

To close or hit something with great force and make a loud noise

involves a sweeping arm movement rather than loud force

to smash

vsto swing

50 3.3

To hit something with great force, often in sport

uses a sweeping motion that is less focused on extreme force

to drive

vsto swing

36 3.5

To hit a ball hard to make it go far

uses a wide arm motion which may not aim for power

to cut

vsto swing

23 5.3

To hit a ball to give it spin

is a general sweeping arm movement not limited to sport

to jab

vsto swing

19 3.3

To poke quickly and sharply with a finger, hand, or object

involves a wider sweeping arc not a short sharp poke

to stroke

vsto swing

9 3.5

To hit a ball with a smooth, controlled movement in sports

uses a broader sweeping arm motion rather than smooth control

to swipe

vsto swing

8 3.7

To hit with a quick swinging movement of the arm, hand, or paw

allows attempts that may not make contact

to strike out

vsto swing

4 4.1

Move suddenly toward someone to try to hit or kick them

is a deliberate arm sweep aimed to hit rather than a sudden lunge

to swack

vsto swing

Archaic

1 9.9

To hit someone or something hard

emphasizes broad arm movement instead of only raw impact

to bop

vsto swing

Informal

1 6.1

To hit someone quickly in a light, playful way

uses a broad hitting motion rather than a quick playful tap

to swig

vsto swing

Archaic

8.6

To hit something very hard with your fist or a bat

describes a sweeping arm motion rather than concentrated heavy blows

Antonyms

to miss

∞ 1.0

To fail to reach or hit something you aim for

Idioms

in full swing

23 3.5

At the peak of activity when many people are active and working

to swing for the fences

Informal

5 7.3

Try something risky to get a big reward

back into the swing of things

Informal

5 5.3

To start doing your normal work and activities after a break

swing and a miss

Informal

3 7.0

An attempt that fails to get the result you wanted

in the swing of things

3 6.8

Being comfortable and taking part easily in an activity

to swing both ways

NSFW

1 8.3

To be attracted to both men and women or to like different things

Phrasal Verbs

to swing by

72 3.7

Visit a place for a short time while on the way somewhere

to swing around

10 3.2

Turn quickly to face the opposite direction

to swing out

6 3.9

To move outward in a wide, sweeping motion

to swing wide

1 3.9

Open a door or gate fully by moving it on its hinges

to swing through

1 3.9

Stop at a place for a short time while going somewhere else

to swing about

1 4.8

To turn quickly to face another direction or change your opinion suddenly

to swing from branch to branch

1 3.8

Move quickly through trees like monkeys by holding and letting go of branches

to swing over

5.8

Make someone change their opinion or decision

to swing round the circle

9.9

To go around the group to hear each person's opinion

Compounds

mood swing

40 3.9

A sudden change from one emotion to another without warning

swing voter

20 4.2

A person who sometimes votes for different political parties and can decide the result of an election

swing set

11 1.0

A frame with seats hanging by chains or ropes for children to swing back and forth

swing door

3 3.1

A door on hinges that opens in both directions

swing shift

3 4.3

An evening work shift from late afternoon until around midnight

swing music

1 3.9

A lively style of jazz with a strong beat that big bands play

baseball swing

1 2.9

The movement a player makes with a bat to hit a thrown ball

swing set

3.7

A group of swing jazz songs played together to make people dance

How Hard

to smash

311 2.1

to whack

250 5.5

to smack

164 3.5

to swipe

8 3.7

to swing

221 1.5

to tap

174 1.0

Surface Forms

swing infinitive

swinging present participle

swings third person singular

swung past

swung past participle

Etymology

Swing meaning 'to hit' comes from the same idea of a wide arm movement; you 'swing' your arm or an object in a sweeping motion to try to hit something. That is why in sports a good swing is the action of trying to strike the ball.