hurl

American  

[hurl] / hɜrl /

verb (used with object)

• hurls,
  present (3rd person singular)
• hurled,
  past participle,  past
• hurling
  present participle

1. to throw or fling with great force or vigor.

   Synonyms:

   pitch, cast

2. to throw or cast down.

3. to utter with vehemence.

   to hurl insults at the umpire.

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verb (used without object)

• hurls,
  present (3rd person singular)
• hurled,
  past participle,  past
• hurling
  present participle

1. to throw a missile.

2. Baseball. to pitch a ball.

noun

1. a forcible or violent throw; fling.

hurl British  

/ hɜːl /

verb

1. (tr) to throw or propel with great force

2. (tr) to utter with force; yell

   to hurl insults

3. to transport or be transported in a driven vehicle

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noun

1. the act or an instance of hurling

2. a ride in a driven vehicle

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hurler
  noun
• outhurl
  verb (used with object)
• unhurled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• hurling
  present
• hurled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• hurl
  simple
• hurls
  simple
• have hurled
  perfect
• has hurled
  perfect
• am hurling
  progressive
• are hurling
  progressive
• is hurling
  progressive
• have been hurling
  perfect progressive
• has been hurling
  perfect progressive

Past

• hurled
  simple
• had hurled
  perfect
• was hurling
  progressive
• were hurling
  progressive
• had been hurling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will hurl
  simple
• will have hurled
  perfect
• will be hurling
  progressive
• will have been hurling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of hurl

1175–1225; Middle English hurlen, equivalent to hur- (perhaps akin to hurry ) + -len -le; akin to Low German hurreln to toss, Frisian hurreln to roar (said of the wind), dialectal German hurlen to roll, rumble (said of thunder)

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Explanation

When you hurl something, you throw it hard. You might hurl your shoe at a horrible bug if it suddenly scuttled across the floor. If you hurl a rock at a glass window, it will probably break, and if you hurl your trash in the direction of a garbage can, it may or may not land inside. The verb hurl implies some force behind your throw. The earliest English version was hurlen, which in the thirteenth century meant "run against each other or collide." It probably comes from the Germanic root hurr, which is also the root of hurry, and means "rapid motion."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hurl hurls hurled hurling

In August, the president directed the Navy to figure out how to return to using steam catapults on aircraft carriers to hurl jet fighters into the air.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

But in the outskirts of Boston on Saturday, it could be Steve Clarke who is about to hurl one almighty curveball that even Babe Ruth would struggle to read.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

To prove her historic hurl was no fluke, she came back with a 192-6 effort on her sixth and last throw.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

Moments later his epic 54-yard hurl to Marvin Mims Jr paid off spectacularly, caught deep downfield.

From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026

Cedric looked around just in time to hurl himself past the thing and avoid colliding with it, but in his haste, he tripped.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

The reason anyone who hurls themselves off a mountain for a living might perform such a procedure is a matter of aerodynamics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

While he hurls baseless accusations and complaints in that episode, Funches presents a compelling case against another player, Atlanta Housewife Porsha Williams, at a banishment debate.

From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2026

As usual, Anderson hurls his characters into a collective crisis that gives rise to individual bursts of resistance and reconciliation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2023

But if Mr. Macron doesn’t bend, he risks cementing his image as “Jupiter,” who hurls down orders from above and takes counsel from few, analysts say.

From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2023

Thunder and lightning are caused when Zeus hurls his thunderbolt.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

The paper reports these are the words one man shouted towards a van transporting the "fallen star" from court after his sentencing, while others in the crowd "hurled abuse and banged on its side".

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

Protesters shouted "Smells like a dictatorship", while police said some hurled bottles, fireworks and paint at officers as officers tried to take down the tents.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

Using SpaceX rocket technology, the angular sports car climbed a curved ramp and hurled itself to a controlled landing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The impact likely vaporized huge quantities of rock and hurled material into space.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

Once Hamilton encountered a major obstacle to the advancement of any cause in which he believed, he instinctively hurled himself onto the offensive, never looked back, and waited for no stragglers.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Also associated with traditional West Country competitions and events such as mangelwurzel hurling.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

The storyline is inscrutable, but Walters displays real range, gazing forlornly in the rain, hurling dishes at a wall, grinning and giving high-fives when a family takes him bowling.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

North Korea has recently been hurling criticism at Japan, a former regional colonial power, over what Pyongyang describes as its remilitarisation.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Since then, restaurant chains have been hurling discounts and deals at consumers to win them back.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

The ablutionist kept hurling insults until a hiccup gave him a horrified pause.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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