hurl

American  

[hurl] / hɜrl /

verb (used with object)

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)

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

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

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)

Example Sentences

“He would hurl himself straight as an arrow right into the great roaring grey wall of an oncoming breaker and go clean through it as if it had neither weight nor momentum.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But Nim got another load and then another, till she had twenty fat coconuts heaped on the rocks, and then she hurled them into the water one by one.

From Literature

But as he hurled his partner high above the ice, he was thrown off balance by grammar and umlauts.

From The Wall Street Journal

Disgusted, McGrath hurled his poles over the safety netting that lined the Stelvio piste, with nearby Swiss team members embracing each other in celebration.

From Barron's

The image of Mom twisting her hair into a neat bun while wearing an orange jumpsuit makes me want to hurl.

From Literature

Related Words

• fire
• fling
• heave
• lob
• sling