swinge
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of swinge1
1250–1300; Middle English swengen to shake, smite, Old English swengan, causative of swingan to swing, or denominative derivative of Old English sweng a blow
Origin of swinge2
First recorded in 1580–90; obscurely akin to singe
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:
Uncle Archy, this is Lyman Hall; and for all you see him in these fine clothes, he's a swinge cat; a darn sight cleverer fellow than he looks to be.
From The Wit and Humor of America, Volume IV. (of X.) by Wilder, Marshall Pinckney
O winds, winds, up and sweep, Up and blow and billow the air, Billow the air with blow and swinge, Rend me this ghastly house of groans!
From The poetical works of George MacDonald in two volumes — Volume 2 by MacDonald, George
That is the neetive misure of the Oirish bards, an' is iminiutly adapted to rendher the Homeric swinge.
From The Lady of the Ice A Novel by De Mille, James
It hurled Dyckman against and along the big table, just as he put home one magnificent, majestic, mellifluous swinge with all his body in it.
From We Can't Have Everything by Hughes, Rupert
He must swinge them, like it or not!
From Sophia A Romance by Weyman, Stanley John
Fafà Picault swinged in a cross from wide left, Whitecaps goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau was unable to corral it after a deflection off defender Bruno Gaspar and Rodríguez smashed home the putback.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2021
Haste, for the holy Virgin’s love, or I shall be well swinged when she cometh home!”
From The Well in the Desert An Old Legend of the House of Arundel by Irwin, M. (Madelaine)
I thank you, you swinged me for my love, which makes me the bolder to chide you for yours.
From Two Gentlemen of Verona by Shakespeare, William
"I ain't hurt, but I'm swinged like a fool miller moth in a lamp chimley," he complained.
From The Duke Of Chimney Butte by Ivory, P. V. E. (Percy Van Eman)
Saint George, that swinged the dragon, and e'er since Sits on his horse back at mine hostess' door.
From Familiar Quotations A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature by Bartlett, John
At the same time, he has been criticised for swingeing job cuts as he tries to restore order to the club's finances.
From Barron's ● Jan. 5, 2026
A nation of 90 million people has suffered, for years, the effects of swingeing international sanctions as well as systematic corruption.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025
The public market imposes a fairly swingeing discount on inorganic growth.
From The Verge ● Mar. 8, 2022
Police minister Bryan Kramer used the occasion of PNG’s independence anniversary to launch a swingeing attack on the police force, saying its endemic corruption would take years, even a generation, to eradicate.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 17, 2020
Have had a swingeing sharp attack in Sydney; beating the fields13 for two nights, Saturday and Sunday.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25) by Lang, Andrew
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.
