fling

fling
    n 1: a usually brief attempt; "he took a crack at it"; "I gave
         it a whirl" [syn: {crack}, {fling}, {go}, {pass}, {whirl},
         {offer}]
    2: a brief indulgence of your impulses [syn: {spree}, {fling}]
    3: the act of flinging
    v 1: throw with force or recklessness; "fling the frisbee"
    2: move in an abrupt or headlong manner; "He flung himself onto
       the sofa"
    3: indulge oneself; "I splurged on a new TV" [syn: {splurge},
       {fling}]
    4: throw or cast away; "Put away your worries" [syn: {discard},
       {fling}, {toss}, {toss out}, {toss away}, {chuck out}, {cast
       aside}, {dispose}, {throw out}, {cast out}, {throw away},
       {cast away}, {put away}]
    

Fling \Fling\ (fl[i^]ng), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Flung}
   (fl[u^]ng); p. pr. & vb. n. {Flinging}.] [OE. flingen,
   flengen, to rush, hurl; cf. Icel. flengia to whip, ride
   furiously, OSw. flenga to strike, Sw. fl[aum]nga to romp,
   Dan. flenge to slash.]
   1. To cast, send, to throw from the hand; to hurl; to dart;
      to emit with violence as if thrown from the hand; as, to
      fing a stone into the pond.
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            'T is Fate that flings the dice: and, as she flings,
            Of kings makes peasants, and of peasants kings.
                                                  --Dryden.
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            He . . . like Jove, his lighting flung. --Dryden.
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            I know thy generous temper well.
            Fling but the appearance of dishonor on it,
            It straight takes fire.               --Addison.
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   2. To shed forth; to emit; to scatter.
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            The sun begins to fling
            His flaring beams.                    --Milton.
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            Every beam new transient colors flings. --Pope.
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   3. To throw; to hurl; to throw off or down; to prostrate;
      hence, to baffle; to defeat; as, to fling a party in
      litigation.
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            His horse started, flung him, and fell upon him.
                                                  --Walpole.
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   {To fling about}, to throw on all sides; to scatter.

   {To fling away}, to reject; to discard.
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            Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition.
                                                  --Shak.
      

   {To fling down}.
      (a) To throw to the ground; esp., to throw in defiance, as
          formerly knights cast a glove into the arena as a
          challenge.
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                This question so flung down before the guests, .
                . .
                Was handed over by consent of all
                To me who had not spoken.         --Tennyson.
      (b) To overturn; to demolish; to ruin.

   {To fling in}, to throw in; not to charge in an account; as,
      in settling accounts, one party flings in a small sum, or
      a few days' work.

   {To fling off}, to baffle in the chase; to defeat of prey;
      also, to get rid of. --Addison.

   {To fling open}, to throw open; to open suddenly or with
      violence; as, to fling open a door.

   {To fling out}, to utter; to speak in an abrupt or harsh
      manner; as, to fling out hard words against another.

   {To fling up}, to relinquish; to abandon; as, to fling up a
      design.
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Fling \Fling\, n.
   1. A cast from the hand; a throw; also, a flounce; a kick;
      as, the fling of a horse.
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   2. A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of
      sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm.
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            I, who love to have a fling,
            Both at senate house and king.        --Swift.
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   3. A kind of dance; as, the Highland fling.
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   4. A trifing matter; an object of contempt. [Obs.]
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            England were but a fling
            Save for the crooked stick and the gray goose wing.
                                                  --Old Proverb.
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   5. a short period during which one indulges one's wishes,
      whims, or desires in an unrestrained manner.
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   6. a love affair.
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   7. a casual or brief attempt to accomplish something.
      [informal]

   Syn: shot.
        [PJC]

   8. a period during which one tries a new activity; as, he
      took a fling at playing tennis.
      [PJC]

   {To have one's fling}, to enjoy one's self to the full; to
      have a season of dissipation. --J. H. Newman. "When I was
      as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of
      pleasure." --D. Jerrold.
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Fling \Fling\, v. i.
   1. To throw; to wince; to flounce; as, the horse began to
      kick and fling.
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   2. To cast in the teeth; to utter abusive language; to sneer;
      as, the scold began to flout and fling.
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   3. To throw one's self in a violent or hasty manner; to rush
      or spring with violence or haste.
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            And crop-full, out of doors he flings. --Milton.
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            I flung closer to his breast,
            As sword that, after battle, flings to sheath.
                                                  --Mrs.
                                                  Browning.
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   {To fling out}, to become ugly and intractable; to utter
      sneers and insinuations.
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156 Moby Thesaurus words for "fling":
      approach, assay, attempt, bash, bat, bender, bid, binge, boil,
      bolt, bout, bowl, bung, bust, career, carousal, carouse, cast,
      cast at, catapult, celebration, change of pace, change-up, charge,
      chase, chuck, chuck at, chunk, clap, crack, curve, dart, dash,
      debauch, downcurve, drinking bout, effort, endeavor, escapade,
      essay, experiment, fastball, fire, fire at, fling at, flip, fork,
      forward pass, gambit, gamble, go, haste, hasten, heave, heave at,
      hie, hump, hump it, hurl, hurl against, hurl at, hurry, hurtle,
      incurve, indulgence, jerk, knuckleball, lance, lark, lash, lateral,
      lateral pass, launch, let fly, let fly at, lick, lob, make haste,
      move, offer, orgy, outcurve, party, pass, peg, pelt, pitch,
      pitchfork, plank, plop, ploy, plump, plunk, pop, post, propel, put,
      put the shot, race, rampage, randan, randy, revel, risk, rush,
      scamper, scoot, scour, scramble, screwball, scud, scurry, scuttle,
      send, serve, service, shoot, shot, shot-put, shy, shy at, sinker,
      skedaddle, slap, slider, sling, sling at, snap, spitball, spitter,
      splurge, spree, stab, stagger, step, step on it, stroke,
      strong bid, tear, tentative, throw, throw at, thrust, tilt, toot,
      toss, toss at, trial, trial and error, try, undertaking, upcurve,
      venture, whack, whirl, wingding