lunge
1 Americannoun
verb (used without object)
-
lunges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lunged,
past participle, past
-
lunging
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
lunges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lunged,
past participle, past
-
lunging
present participle
noun
noun
-
a sudden forward motion
-
fencing a thrust made by advancing the front foot and straightening the back leg, extending the sword arm forwards
verb
-
to move or cause to move with a lunge
-
(intr) fencing to make a lunge
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lungesimple
-
lungessimple
-
have lungedperfect
-
has lungedperfect
-
am lungingprogressive
-
are lungingprogressive
-
is lungingprogressive
-
have been lungingperfect progressive
-
has been lungingperfect progressive
Past
-
lungedsimple
-
had lungedperfect
-
was lungingprogressive
-
were lungingprogressive
-
had been lungingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lunge1
1725–35; earlier longe for French allonge (noun; construed as a longe ), allonger (v.) to lengthen, extend, deliver (blows) < Vulgar Latin *allongāre, for Late Latin ēlongāre to elongate
Origin of lunge2
Explanation
To lunge is to move forward suddenly, often in a thrusting manner. A parent might lunge to grab a runaway child. Lunging is not usually a graceful movement. A lunge is quick and desperate. If it suddenly rains, people will lunge to get under an awning. In football, when the ball is hiked, the linemen lunge at each other. Lunging always involves moving forward.
Vocabulary lists containing lunge
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Just when it looked like the evening's pantomime villain would be an unlikely match-winner, White was penalised for a lunge on Federico Vinas in stoppage time.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
Competitors ski, push and pull sleds, row, burpee, lunge and throw heavy medicine balls at a target in an effort to finish in the fastest time.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
Witnesses have said he did not lunge at officers or pose an immediate threat.
From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2026
Johnson was sent off in the second half when his lunge on Marcos Lopez was upgraded from a booking to a red card after VAR intervened.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025
I lean forward, but just as I’m about to lunge, he turns.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Elsewhere, a staff member lunged towards a toddler-sized robot in a T-shirt that threatened to knock into a human child.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
In November 2025, Beatriz Ziegenfus told authorities that she was passing the dog and his owner when it lunged at her and bit her on her right forearm, knocking her down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
He lunged at Cosmo, who didn’t even flinch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
On that night, in Kansas City, Messi lunged for a ball and raked his studs on the calf of an Algerian defender.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The strange wolf lunged, grabbed the cub by the scruff, and lifted him high.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The company, founded in 1948, is known for its emblematic sneakers such as the Speedcat and its lunging feline logo, and makes athletic wear, accessories and equipment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
She posted a video of herself squatting with heavy weights and lunging on the knee, protected by a brace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
With the game still scoreless in the 29th minute, Romero -- who has been vocal in his criticism of Tottenham's owners lately -- was dismissed after lunging in to catch Casemiro on the ankle.
From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026
Again, no storming, no lunging, not even a feint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025
They could overtake flying fish if they were just behind them and lunging from the water at the same time and in the same direction.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Doing deep squats or lunges with poor form can put unnecessary strain on your knee joint.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Strength training included exercises using weights or body weight, such as press ups, squats, and lunges.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
He has them doing hip thrusts, banded side lunges, goblet curtsy squats and cable kickbacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
But when she sees another dog, everything changes: she snarls, barks loud enough to startle a city block, and lunges with so much force it takes all my strength to hold her back.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2025
The much larger dorados couldn’t match their flying, but they were faster swimmers and their short lunges were very powerful.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
