# swinging

Pronunciation: say "SWING-ing" /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of swing. — present participle and gerund of swing
   - Simple: The -ing form of swing. Use it after am, is, are, was or were, or to name the action.
   - _The gate kept swinging in the wind throughout the storm._
   - _She spent the morning swinging a golf club at the driving range._

## Noun

2. The act or motion of something that swings, moving back and forth or around a fixed point.
   - Simple: The back-and-forth movement of something hanging or turning on a fixed point.
   - _The steady swinging of the chandelier warned them of the tremor._
   - _A loose hinge gave the door a slow swinging whenever a breeze passed._
3. A group activity in which couples exchange partners for sexual activity, often in a shared setting.
   - Simple: A social activity where couples swap partners for sex, often in a group.
   - _The documentary explored swinging among middle-aged couples in suburban communities._
   - _They were curious about swinging but agreed to set clear rules first._

## Adjective

4. Sexually promiscuous; inclined to have many casual sexual partners.
   - Simple: Having sex with many different partners.
   - _The novel's swinging protagonist drifts from one fling to the next._
   - _Friends teased him about his swinging years before he settled down._
5. Fine, good, or successful; lively and exciting. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Lively, fun, and full of energy.
   - _The whole festival had a swinging atmosphere from the very first set._
   - _Business was swinging that summer, with reservations booked weeks ahead._
6. Alternative form of swingeing. Chiefly British, and much less common than swingeing. — Alternative form of swingeing.
   - Simple: Alternative form of swingeing. Mostly British and rare: it means very severe, as with big cuts or penalties.
   - _The government imposed swinging taxes on imported luxury goods._
   - _Critics condemned the swinging penalties handed down to small businesses._

## Origin

The sexual sense is named after the custom in swing dancing of changing partners after each dance, unlike traditional ballroom styles where one keeps a single partner.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/swinging (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).