toss

American  

[taws, tos] / tɔs, tɒs /

verb (used with object)

• tosses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• tossed,
  past participle,  past
• tost,
  past participle,  past
• tossing
  present participle

1. to throw, pitch, or fling, especially to throw lightly or carelessly.

   to toss a piece of paper into the wastebasket.

2. to throw or send from one to another, as in play.

   to toss a ball.

3. to throw or pitch with irregular or careless motions; fling or jerk about.

   The ship was tossed by waves.

4. to agitate, disturb, or disquiet.

5. to throw, raise, or jerk upward suddenly.

   She tossed her head disdainfully.

6. to speak or express in a sudden offhand manner; interject.

   He tossed jokes into their serious discussion.

7. to throw (a coin) into the air in order to decide something by the side turned up when it falls (sometimes followed byup ).

8. to toss a coin with (someone).

9. to stir or mix (a salad) lightly until the ingredients are coated with the dressing.

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verb (used without object)

• tosses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• tossed,
  past participle,  past
• tost,
  past participle,  past
• tossing
  present participle

1. to pitch, rock, sway, or move irregularly, as a ship on a rough sea or a flag or plumes in the breeze.

2. to fling or jerk oneself or move restlessly about, especially on a bed or couch.

   to toss in one's sleep.

3. to throw something.

4. to throw a coin into the air in order to decide something by the way it falls (sometimes followed byup ).

5. to go with a fling of the body.

   to toss out of a room in a fit of anger.

noun

• tosses
  plural

1. an act or instance of tossing.

2. a pitching about or up and down.

3. a throw or pitch.

4. tossup.

5. the distance to which something is or may be thrown.

6. a sudden fling or jerk of the body, especially a quick upward or backward movement of the head.

verb phrase

1. toss up to vomit.

2. toss off

   1. to accomplish quickly or easily.

   2. to consume rapidly, especially to drink something up in one swallow.

      He tossed off a cocktail before dinner.

   3. British Slang. to masturbate.

idioms

1. toss one's cookies, cookie.

2. toss one's hat in the ring. hat.

toss British  

/ tɒs /

verb

1. (tr) to throw lightly or with a flourish, esp with the palm of the hand upwards

2. to fling or be flung about, esp constantly or regularly in an agitated or violent way

   a ship tosses in a storm

3. to discuss or put forward for discussion in an informal way

4. (tr) (of an animal such as a horse) to throw (its rider)

5. (tr) (of an animal) to butt with the head or the horns and throw into the air

   the bull tossed the matador

6. (tr) to shake, agitate, or disturb

7. to toss up a coin with (someone) in order to decide or allot something

   I'll toss you for it

   let's toss for it

8. (intr) to move away angrily or impatiently

   she tossed out of the room

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noun

1. an abrupt movement

2. a rolling or pitching motion

3. the act or an instance of tossing

4. the act of tossing up a coin See toss up

5. a fall from a horse or other animal

6. to wrangle or dispute at length

7. slang to be concerned or interested (esp in the phrase not give a toss )

toss More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing toss

• throw (toss) one's hat in the ring
• throw away (toss out)

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Synonym Usage

See throw.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tosser
  noun
• untossed
  adjective
• tossingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tosses
  plural

Participles

• tossing
  present
• tossed
  past
• tost
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• toss
  simple
• tosses
  simple
• have tossed
  perfect
• have tost
  perfect
• has tossed
  perfect
• has tost
  perfect
• am tossing
  progressive
• are tossing
  progressive
• is tossing
  progressive
• have been tossing
  perfect progressive
• has been tossing
  perfect progressive

Past

• tossed
  simple
• tost
  simple
• had tossed
  perfect
• had tost
  perfect
• was tossing
  progressive
• were tossing
  progressive
• had been tossing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will toss
  simple
• will have tossed
  perfect
• will have tost
  perfect
• will be tossing
  progressive
• will have been tossing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of toss

First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain

Explanation

When you lightly throw something, you toss it. You might toss your lifejacket and backpack into a canoe before climbing in with the paddles. You can toss a baseball to your friend in the backyard, or toss your trash in a wastebasket when you're finished with lunch. You can also toss a coin or toss a salad. Another way to toss is to move back and forth — or thrash — like an insomniac in bed or a boat on a stormy ocean.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toss tosses tossed tost tossing

Every offseason, the Hurricanes toss the keys to their program to a passer who just walked in the door.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

I’m sympathetic to the idea that crews’ livelihoods and fans’ investment in the shows are meaningful things to toss out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

To try to avoid bringing it home with her after work, she’d toss all her clothes immediately into the dryer so the heat could kill any eggs that may have hitchhiked on her.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

As with the previous two Tests, Root declined to confirm his XI ahead of the toss, though the home side are expected to be unchanged.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

He tossed the Elucidator in the air, an easy toss, easier than passing a basketball.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

She rewards fans with a few of Glinda's signature hair tosses, external and, more importantly, a two-hour show that highlights the incredible agility of the star's voice.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

She delights in covering her hair with a white shirt she tosses over her shoulders with mock-Breck-ad delight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

As if releasing a pro-stealing film in a very anti-theft corporate culture weren’t ballsy enough, radical filmmaker Boots Riley grabs everything from the kitchen sink and tosses it into the blender for “I Love Boosters.”

From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026

Displaying as always her couture hauteur, Miranda, who doesn’t even remember Andy from her long-ago gig, tosses the former assistant in a terrible office and tells her she will inevitably fail.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

But one of the staff dresses up like Santa and tosses bags of candy out of a Santa sack.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

The next year, in his major-conference debut at Duke, Mensah tossed an ACC-best 34 touchdowns while leading the Blue Devils to their first conference title since 1989.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

It was then switched into a state that was almost unaffected by the magnetic field, allowing it to move freely under gravity, following a ballistic trajectory similar to a ball tossed into the air.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

Mizrahi, one of the great artists of ’90s ready-to-wear fashion, has been tossed out.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

Cerón suggested the dishes be tossed out, according to the complaint, but a supervisor told her they were needed for an upcoming flight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Barrel after barrel was being rolled across the deck to be maimed and tossed into the sea.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

The Hector come from out the fight in arms Achilles lost, The Hector that on Danaan decks the Phrygian firebrands tost.

From The Æneids of Virgil Done into English Verse by William Morris

Where anguish never more can rend thy breast, And fondest hope can ne'er be tempest tost!

From The Old Hanging Fork and Other Poems by George W. Doneghy

As Gammer Gurton, with manye a wyde styche, Sat pesynge and patching of Hodg her mans briche, By chance or misfortune, as shee her geare tost, In Hodge lether bryches her needle shee lost.

From English Verse Specimens Illustrating its Principles and History by Raymond MacDonald Alden

And I looked on 'mid the watery strife, When the world was deluged and all was lost Save one blessed vessel, preserver of life, Which rode on through safety, though tempest tost.

From Moon Lore by Timothy Harley

All day long through Frederick street Sounded the tread of marching feet; All day long that free flag tost Over the heads of the rebel host.

From Dramatic Technique by George Pierce Baker

If you ever need to evacuate in a pinch, Sauceda recommends tossing your go bag into your dirty laundry basket, as it likely contains a mix of season-appropriate clothes that fit, and carrying both out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Among the events watched by the spectators were tug-of-war, caber tossing, hammer throwing, Highland dancing and a parade of pipe bands.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

At the least, those responses seem more likely than if the boss were tossing around vagaries on a podcast.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026

Which strikes me as akin to a judge tossing a criminal indictment because the defendant stopped his illegal activity on arrest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The night was cold because everything was wet, and I huddled in my nest, tossing about.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo