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to wing

to wing

5 3.9
To move quickly through the air like a bird
  • verb
  • /wɪŋ/
: volar
  • With no clear plan, they began to wing their presentation, relying on their creativity to impress the audience.

Examples

  • To reach their destination, they decided to wing through the skies in a small private jet.

  • The child was delighted as the paper airplane took flight, winging gracefully through the air.

  • You know, I think we should probably just wing it.

  • I'll probably just wing it anyway.

  • Do you have pages or just want me to wing this?

  • We're all just winging it, you know?

  • There isn't clear direction, so I'm just going to kind of wing my way and button down.

  • We always wing it.

  • He'd ask the first question and I would ask the second, then we'd wing it.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Then I'll go into the class and 'wing it' as if it were spontaneous." (n35)

    Academic text (2003)

Synonyms

to fly
vsto wing
816 1.0

Move through the air using wings or in a plane

describes moving through air or moving swiftly as if in real flight
to soar
vsto wing
89 1.8

To fly high and freely in the air like a bird or glider

shows movement through air but focuses on swift flightlike motion rather than height
to glide
vsto wing
78 2.9

To move smoothly and without effort through the air or over a surface

is about moving through air but emphasizes swift flightlike motion
to sail
vsto wing
39 1.0

To move smoothly and easily through the air or over a surface

means moving through air or moving swiftly like real flight
to plane
vsto wing
1 3.6

To glide smoothly through the air while slowly coming down

focuses on general air travel or quick flightlike movement not only descent
to kite
vsto wing
1 6.4

To move or glide through the air like a light toy on a string

describes motion through air but less about swift forward travel and more drift

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To come down and rest on a surface

Idioms

33 4.2

A more experienced person looks after and guides you

12 5.1

Flying, especially about birds or insects

Phrasal Verbs

to wing it
  • Informal
30 6.1

Do something without planning or preparation and improvise

to take wing
  • Literature
5 5.8

Begin to fly, like birds rising into the air or projects starting to do well

Compounds

202 3.8

People who support conservative political, social, and economic ideas and little change

73 3.9

People or groups that support more social equality and government help

37 1.0

The wing of a chicken cooked and eaten as a snack

12 2.6

A deep-fried chicken wing covered in spicy sauce eaten as a starter

wing nut
  • Offensive
10 9.0

A person with extreme political views that people insult

6 8.4

A senior Royal Air Force officer who is above a squadron leader and below a group captain

2 4.4

A comfortable chair with a high back and side wings to keep you warm

wing nut
  • Specialized
2 2.8

A small metal piece with two flat wings you turn by hand

rotary wing
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A set of long rotating blades on a helicopter that lift it and let it hover

1 2.2

A wing of a turkey that people eat

delta wing
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A triangular wing used on very fast jets

wing-nut
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A metal nut with two flat wings for tightening by hand

buck-and-wing
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A lively solo tap dance with fast, energetic footwork

A chicken wing cooked with a sweet, smoky sauce, usually grilled or baked

wing loading
  • Specialized
1 8.2

The weight of a plane divided by the area of its wings

1 3.3

Having the form of a bird's wing

1 5.6

A shoe with a pointed toe and decoration on the front that looks like a W

angel-wing begonia
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A South American plant with wing-shaped leaves and red flower clusters

wing case
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A hard front shell on beetles that protects their thin back wings

To shoot wild birds while they fly

wing nut
  • Specialized
1 9.3

A tree with small winged seeds that grows near rivers in Asia

wing-nut
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A tree that makes small nuts with wing-like parts that the wind carries

wing screw
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A small metal part with flat side pieces you can turn by hand to hold things together

fore wing
  • Specialized
1 7.8

One of the front pair of thin parts an insect uses to fly when it has four wings

1 9.6

A North American tree with rough, thick bumps on its branches that look like wings

bastard wing
  • Specialized
9.9

A small stiff group of feathers on the front edge of a bird's wing that helps control flight when landing

A small forest plant with leaves like wintergreen and pink-purple flowers

fore-wing
  • Specialized
8.2

The front wing on an insect with four wings, like a butterfly or beetle

A sea fish with large side and belly fins that glides above water

spurious wing
  • Specialized
9.1

A small group of stiff feathers on a bird's thumb that helps control flight

A fish with only its front fins made large so it can glide above the water

How Fast

zoom
1 4.1
to wing
5 3.9
dart
1 1.8
to flutter
52 3.5
to glide
78 2.9

Surface Forms

wing infinitive
winged past
winged past participle
winging present participle
wings third person singular

Etymology

Wing as a verb meaning to move quickly through the air comes from the name of the bird part that makes flying possible, so to 'wing' somewhere is to go as if you had wings, fast or smoothly.