swing

SWING/ˈswɪŋ/

36 meanings of swing

1
nouncountable
A seat that hangs from ropes or chains and moves back and forth as you sit on it.
Like a chair that hangs from ropes and rocks you back and forth.
The kids lined up to take turns on the swing.
We hung a wooden swing on the porch for summer evenings.
Note
2
verbtransitive
To move something back and forth through the air.
Swing the rope toward me so I can grab it.
She swung her bag over her shoulder.
Similarwave, brandish
3
verbintransitive
To turn around a fixed point that is not in the center.
Gates swing freely when their hinges are oiled.
The sign swung back and forth in the storm.
Similarsway, pivot
Note
4
verbtransitive or intransitive
To move your arm fast as if throwing a punch.
Swing your fist only when your feet are set.
He swung at the bully and stumbled.
Similarpunch, swipe
Note
5
nouncountable
A single back-and-forth movement of something.
With one swing of the bat, he hit a home run.
The swing of the pendulum was slow and steady.
Similarstroke, swipe, blow
6
nouncountable
The amount that something goes up or down.
There was a big swing in temperature overnight.
The team saw a swing in momentum after halftime.
Similarshift, change, fluctuation
Note
7
nouncountable
The way that a person swings a bat, club, or arm.
The coach praised her smooth swing.
His golf swing needs more practice.
Note
8
verbintransitive
To sit on a hanging seat and move back and forth.
The children love to swing for hours at the park.
She swung higher until she could see over the fence.
9
nouncountable
In an election, the rise or fall in votes for the other parties compared with the party in power.
A big swing to the opposition cost the mayor his seat.
Pollsters predicted a small swing toward the challenger.
Similarshift
Note
10
verbintransitive
To turn suddenly so you face or move a new way.
Swing left at the next corner to reach the station.
The car swung into the driveway.
Similarturn, veer, swerve
Note

11
verbintransitive
To go up and down or change often.
Prices swing wildly during the holidays.
Her mood swung from joy to sadness in minutes.
Similarfluctuate, shift, oscillate, seesaw
12
verbtransitive
To change a result, especially the winner of an election.
A few key states could swing the election.
The scandal swung many votes against him.
Similarsway, tip, influence
13
noununcountable
A lively, acrobatic dance for couples that became popular in the late 1930s.
They learned to dance the swing at the community center.
Every Friday the club filled with couples dancing the swing.
Similarjitterbug
14
noununcountable
The kind of upbeat big-band music that people dance the swing to.
The radio played swing all afternoon.
Grandpa still loves listening to swing.
Note
15
nouncountable
The full distance a swinging object moves through.
The swing of the crane reached across the whole yard.
Stand clear of the swing of the heavy door.
Similararc, sweep, range
16
nouncountable
A punch thrown with a wide, sweeping motion of the arm.
Like swinging your arm in a big arc to hit a ball far away.
He landed a wild swing on his opponent's jaw.
Her swing missed and left her off balance.
Note
17
verbintransitive
To move your body to music, or to dance.
Couples swing across the dance floor all night long.
He likes to swing to old jazz records on Sundays.
Similardance
18
verbintransitive
To be attracted to men, women, or both.
Some people swing both ways and date men and women.
He wasn't sure which way she would swing.
Note
19
nouncountable
The full difference between the highest and lowest amounts something reaches.
Like the gap between the highest and lowest marks on a thermometer.
The temperature swing between day and night is huge in the desert.
There was a big swing in prices over the year.
Similarrange, variation, fluctuation
20
verbtransitive
To turn your partner around in a small circle while holding hands.
Like taking a friend's hands and spinning them in a quick circle.
He likes to swing his partner during the fast songs.
She swings her brother around the dance floor.
Similartwirl, spin, whirl
Note
21
nouncountable
A loose rope or cord that hangs down so things can move on it.
Like a rope hung from a beam that things can dangle from.
A swing of rope hung from the rafters of the barn.
They fastened the basket to a swing fixed to the ceiling beam.
22
nouncountable
A dance step where two people hold hands and turn in a circle together.
Like turning in a circle with a friend while you both hold hands.
The teacher showed us a simple swing to start the dance.
Every folk dance began with a quick swing.
23
verbslangtransitive
To manage to do or pay for something difficult.
Like just barely having enough money to pay for something you want.
We can't swing a new car right now.
Do you think they can swing the rent this month?
Similarmanage, afford, arrange
Note
24
noununcountable
The power or push that something gains once it gets moving.
Like a ball rolling downhill that gets harder and harder to stop.
The protest gained real swing after the news covered it.
Once the idea had some swing, everyone joined in.
Similarmomentum, impetus
25
verbtransitive
To play pairs of notes unevenly, making the first longer and the second shorter for a bouncy feel.
Like skipping instead of walking: long step, short step, long step, short step.
Good jazz players swing the notes instead of playing them evenly.
Try to swing the melody so it sounds bouncy.
Note
26
verbintransitive
To take part in swapping sexual partners with other couples.
Some couples swing to add excitement to their relationship.
They started to swing after meeting others at a club.
Note
27
nouncountable
A performer who is ready to fill in for several different roles in a show.
Like a substitute player ready to take any spot on the team.
The swing learned six different parts for the musical.
When two actors got sick, the swing saved the show.
Note
28
verbintransitive
To be killed by hanging as a punishment, or to be punished very hard for something.
Like getting the worst possible punishment for breaking a big rule.
In those days, a thief could swing for stealing a horse.
He swore the traitor would swing for his crimes.
Similarhang, dangle
Note
29
verbtransitive
To fit a door or gate onto hinges so it can move freely.
Like putting a cabinet door on hinges so it can open and close.
The carpenter will swing the new door tomorrow.
They need to swing the gate before the fence is finished.
Similarhang
Note
30
noununcountable
The sideways curve of a ball as it moves through the air.
Like a paper plane that drifts to one side as it flies.
The bowler got a lot of swing on a cloudy day.
Late swing made the ball very hard to hit.
Note
31
verb
In cricket, of the ball, to curve sideways in the air.
32
verb
In cricket, to bowl the ball so it curves in the air.
33
verb
Of a lathe, to be big enough to turn a piece of a certain size.
34
verb
Of a ship at anchor, to turn with the wind or tide.
35
noun
The width of the largest piece that a lathe can turn.
36
nounobsolete
Freedom to do what you want.
To prevent anything which may prove an obstacle on the full swing of his genius.
1788, Edmund Burke, speech in the Impeachment of Warren Hastings

Practice

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Origin

From Old English swingan, going back to older Germanic and Proto-Indo-European roots.