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:
Sirrah, knave, I have a mind to swinge you!
From Representative Plays by American Dramatists: 1856-1911: Francesca da Rimini by Moses, Montrose Jonas
"The Secretary promises me to swinge him," he wrote in 1711; "I must make that rogue an example for a warning to others."
From The Tatler, Volume 1, 1899 by Aitken, George A.
Possum skin is jes lak shoat skin; Jes' you swinge an' scrope it down, Tek a good sha'p knife an' sco' it, Den you bake it good an' brown.
From The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar by Howells, William Dean
Well, sir, y'ave a perilous wit, God blesse me out of the swinge of it, but you had best looke to it betimes, for Earl Cassimere hath made great friends against you.
From A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 3 by Bullen, A. H. (Arthur Henry)
My age! do not use That word again; if you do, I shall grow young, And swinge you soundly.
From History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume I by Dunlop, 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
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
As the swinged person approaches the swinger, he exclaims, Ei mi tu chal, 'I'll eat your kail.'
From Christmas: Its Origin and Associations Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries by Dawson, William Francis
Now will he be swinged for reading my letter,—an unmannerly slave, that will thrust himself into secrets!
From Two Gentlemen of Verona The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] by Clark, William George
If it had not been i’ the church, I would have swinged him, or he should have swinged me.
From The Merry Wives of Windsor The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] by Glover, John, librarian of Trinity College, Cambridge
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
The most swingeing, the Caesar Act, has been suspended and could be repealed by the US Congress in the new year.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025
The public market imposes a fairly swingeing discount on inorganic growth.
From The Verge ● Mar. 8, 2022
Italy was the first Western country to introduce swingeing restrictions on movement after uncovering the outbreak almost six weeks ago.
From Reuters ● Mar. 31, 2020
We sat inches deep in water, holding on for very life, and the sea came tumbling aboard, swingeing us to the armpits at every surge of the waves.
From With Drake on the Spanish Main by Strang, Herbert
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.
