Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

lunge

1 American  
[luhnj] / lʌndʒ /

noun

  1. a sudden forward thrust, as with a sword or knife; stab.

  2. any sudden forward movement; plunge.

    Synonyms:
    lurch, charge, rush

verb (used without object)

lunged, lunging

  1. to make a lunge or thrust; move with a lunge.

verb (used with object)

lunged, lunging

  1. to thrust (something) forward; cause to move with a lunge.

    lunging his finger accusingly.
lunge 2 American  
[luhnj] / lʌndʒ /

noun

lunged, lunging

  1. longe.

lunge 1 British  
/ lʌndʒ /

noun

  1. a sudden forward motion

  2. fencing a thrust made by advancing the front foot and straightening the back leg, extending the sword arm forwards

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to move or cause to move with a lunge

  2. (intr) fencing to make a lunge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
lunge 2 British  
/ lʌndʒ /

noun

  1. a rope used in training or exercising a horse

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to exercise or train (a horse) on a lunge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • lunger noun

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

Variant of longe < French; longe, lune 2

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.

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

Griezmann grabbed his second with 10 minutes remaining after Ryan denied Julian Alvarez but the loose ball sat up nicely for the French forward to lunge in and turn over the line.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

At the same time, Asher and his Fighter, Max, lunge forward.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

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.