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swing

swing

167 2.3
An attempt to hit something made with a wide arm movement
  • noun
  • /swɪŋ/
translation icon : golpe
  • He took a powerful swing at the baseball and sent it flying into the outfield.
  • golf swing
  • practice swings
  • bat swing

You really want to take a swing at doing this.

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Examples

  • "I let him close in on me, then take a wild swing at my head.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • And he took a swing at my Dad.

  • Once the pitch you want comes... give a decisive swing!

  • You can go ahead and take a swing at him if it'll make you feel better.

  • Anyway, Richards took a swing at him and busted his hand.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • But it's like getting slugged in the stomach with a full swing from a baseball bat.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Each delivery was evaluated by coaches using three criteria: accuracy, degree of swing, and subjective rating.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Hey, batter, batter, swing!

  • During the boxing match, the boxer landed a hard swing that knocked his opponent down.

  • After practicing all week, she finally managed to perfect her golf swing on the last hole.

Synonyms

shot
vsswing
289 1.6

An attempt to score in a sport, for example throwing a heavy ball in shot put

is focused on trying to hit rather than this scoring or throwing attempt
blow
vsswing
271 2.0

A strong hit from a fist or weapon

is an attempt to hit something in sports rather than any impact
swat
vsswing
104 3.9

A quick hard hit with the hand or a flat object

is a broader sweeping hit rather than this brief precise strike
swipe
vsswing
39 3.9

A strong sweeping hit with the arm, hand, or paw

is an attempt to hit something rather than only a broad motion
cut
vsswing
11 5.1

A hit or swing used to strike a ball

is a general attempt to hit rather than this spin focused hit
smash
vsswing
7 3.0

A very hard hit in sport, like in tennis

is an attempt to hit that is not necessarily so forceful or final
golf shot
vsswing
2 2.7

A swing of a golf club to hit the ball

is a general attempt to hit something rather than this club play
baseball swing
vsswing
1 2.9

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

is a general attempt to hit something not tied to one sport
golf stroke
vsswing
1 2.9

A swing of a golf club to hit the ball

is a general attempt to hit something rather than this club action
whang
vsswing
  • UK
1 9.9

A hard hit that makes a loud sound

is an attempt to hit rather than this mainly forceful impact
tennis shot
vsswing
2.5

A hit of the tennis ball with a racket during play

is a general attempt to hit rather than this racket action in play

Antonyms

1.0

To fail to reach or hit something you aim for

Idioms

23 3.5

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

5 7.3

Try something risky to get a big reward

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

Being comfortable and taking part easily in an activity

1 8.3

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

Compounds

40 3.9

A sudden change from one emotion to another without warning

20 4.2

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

11 1.0

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

3 3.1

A door on hinges that opens in both directions

3 4.3

An evening work shift from late afternoon until around midnight

1 3.9

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

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

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
swipe
39 3.9
swing
167 2.3
tap
66 1.0

Surface Forms

swing singular
swings plural

Etymology

Swing as a noun for an attempt to hit (like in golf) comes from the action of 'swinging' your arm or club. So a player's swing is simply their hitting movement, which explains the term.