Library / English Dictionary

    SWING

    Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

    Irregular inflected form: swung  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

     I. (noun) 

    Sense 1

    Meaning:

    Changing location by moving back and forthplay

    Synonyms:

    swing; swinging; vacillation

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting acts or actions

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    motion; move; movement (the act of changing location from one place to another)

    Derivation:

    swing (move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner)

    swing (change direction with a swinging motion; turn)

    Sense 2

    Meaning:

    A square dance figure; a pair of dancers join hands and dance around a point between themplay

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting acts or actions

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    contra danse; contradance; contredanse; country-dance; country dancing (a type of folk dance in which couples are arranged in sets or face one another in a line)

    Holonyms ("swing" is a part of...):

    square dance; square dancing (American country dancing in which couples form squares)

    Sense 3

    Meaning:

    In baseball; a batter's attempt to hit a pitched ballplay

    Example:

    he took a vicious cut at the ball

    Synonyms:

    baseball swing; cut; swing

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting acts or actions

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    shot; stroke ((sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand)

    Sense 4

    Meaning:

    The act of swinging a golf club at a golf ball and (usually) hitting itplay

    Synonyms:

    golf shot; golf stroke; swing

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting acts or actions

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    shot; stroke ((sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand)

    Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "swing"):

    teeoff (the act of hitting a golf ball from the teeing ground at the start of each hole)

    shank (a poor golf stroke in which the heel of the club hits the ball)

    sclaff (a poor golf stroke in which the club head hits the ground before hitting the ball)

    approach; approach shot (a relatively short golf shot intended to put the ball onto the putting green)

    putt; putting (hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter)

    explosion (a golf shot from a bunker that typically moves sand as well as the golf ball)

    drive; driving (hitting a golf ball off of a tee with a driver)

    draw; hook; hooking (a golf shot that curves to the left for a right-handed golfer)

    fade; slice; slicing (a golf shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer)

    downswing (a swing downward of a golf club)

    Derivation:

    swing (move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting)

    Sense 5

    Meaning:

    A sweeping blow or strokeplay

    Example:

    he took a wild swing at my head

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting acts or actions

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    blow (a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon)

    Derivation:

    swing (hit or aim at with a sweeping arm movement)

    swing (make a big sweeping gesture or movement)

    swing (move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting)

    Sense 6

    Meaning:

    Mechanical device used as a plaything to support someone swinging back and forthplay

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting man-made objects

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    mechanical device (mechanism consisting of a device that works on mechanical principles)

    plaything; toy (an artifact designed to be played with)

    Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "swing"):

    trapeze (a swing used by circus acrobats)

    Holonyms ("swing" is a part of...):

    playground (yard consisting of an outdoor area for children's play)

    Derivation:

    swing (hang freely)

    Sense 7

    Meaning:

    A jaunty rhythm in musicplay

    Synonyms:

    lilt; swing

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    rhythmicity (the rhythmic property imparted by the accents and relative durations of notes in a piece of music)

    Derivation:

    swing (play with a subtle and intuitively felt sense of rhythm)

    swing (have a certain musical rhythm)

    swingy (characterized by a buoyant rhythm)

    Sense 8

    Meaning:

    A style of jazz played by big bands popular in the 1930s; flowing rhythms but less complex than later styles of jazzplay

    Synonyms:

    jive; swing; swing music

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    jazz (a genre of popular music that originated in New Orleans around 1900 and developed through increasingly complex styles)

    Derivation:

    swing (have a certain musical rhythm)

    swingy (characterized by a buoyant rhythm)

    Sense 9

    Meaning:

    A state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activityplay

    Example:

    it took time to get into the swing of things

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

    Hypernyms ("swing" is a kind of...):

    action; activeness; activity (the state of being active)

     II. (verb) 

    Verb forms

    Present simple: I / you / we / they swing  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation ... he / she / it swings  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

    Past simple: swung  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

    Past participle: swung  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

    -ing form: swinging  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

    Sense 1

    Meaning:

    Alternate dramatically between high and low valuesplay

    Example:

    the market is swinging up and down

    Classified under:

    Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

    Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "swing"):

    fluctuate; vacillate; waver (move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern)

    Sentence frame:

    Something ----s

    Sense 2

    Meaning:

    Hit or aim at with a sweeping arm movementplay

    Example:

    The soccer player began to swing at the referee

    Classified under:

    Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    aim; direct; take; take aim; train (point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards)

    Sentence frame:

    Somebody ----s PP

    Derivation:

    swing (a sweeping blow or stroke)

    Sense 3

    Meaning:

    Engage freely in promiscuous sex, often with the husband or wife of one's friendsplay

    Example:

    There were many swinging couples in the 1960's

    Classified under:

    Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    fornicate (have sex without being married)

    Sentence frame:

    Somebody ----s

    Derivation:

    swinger (a person who engages freely in promiscuous sex)

    Sense 4

    Meaning:

    Make a big sweeping gesture or movementplay

    Synonyms:

    sweep; swing; swing out

    Classified under:

    Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    handle; manage; wield (handle effectively)

    Sentence frames:

    Somebody ----s something
    Something ----s something
    Somebody ----s something PP

    Derivation:

    swing (a sweeping blow or stroke)

    Sense 5

    Meaning:

    Play with a subtle and intuitively felt sense of rhythmplay

    Classified under:

    Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    play (play on an instrument)

    Domain category:

    music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

    Sentence frame:

    Somebody ----s

    Derivation:

    swing (a jaunty rhythm in music)

    Sense 6

    Meaning:

    Move or walk in a swinging or swaying mannerplay

    Example:

    He swung back

    Synonyms:

    sway; swing

    Classified under:

    Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    move back and forth (move in one direction and then into the opposite direction)

    Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "swing"):

    waver; weave (sway from side to side)

    lash (lash or flick about sharply)

    oscillate; vibrate (move or swing from side to side regularly)

    brachiate (swing from one hold to the next)

    Sentence frames:

    Something ----s
    Somebody ----s PP

    Sentence example:

    The wooden sticks swing


    Derivation:

    swing (changing location by moving back and forth)

    swinger (someone who swings sports implements)

    Sense 7

    Meaning:

    Change direction with a swinging motion; turnplay

    Example:

    swing forward

    Classified under:

    Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

    Sentence frames:

    Something is ----ing PP
    Somebody ----s PP

    Derivation:

    swing (changing location by moving back and forth)

    Sense 8

    Meaning:

    Move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hittingplay

    Example:

    swing a bat

    Classified under:

    Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

    Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "swing"):

    wind up (give a preliminary swing to the arm pitching)

    Sentence frame:

    Somebody ----s something

    Sentence example:

    The girls swing the wooden sticks


    Derivation:

    swing (the act of swinging a golf club at a golf ball and (usually) hitting it)

    swing (a sweeping blow or stroke)

    swinger (someone who swings sports implements)

    Sense 9

    Meaning:

    Be a social swinger; socialize a lotplay

    Synonyms:

    get around; swing

    Classified under:

    Verbs of political and social activities and events

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    socialise; socialize (take part in social activities; interact with others)

    Sentence frame:

    Somebody ----s

    Sense 10

    Meaning:

    Influence decisivelyplay

    Example:

    This action swung many votes over to his side

    Synonyms:

    swing; swing over

    Classified under:

    Verbs of political and social activities and events

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    act upon; influence; work (have and exert influence or effect)

    Sentence frames:

    Somebody ----s something
    Somebody ----s somebody
    Something ----s somebody
    Something ----s something

    Sense 11

    Meaning:

    Live in a lively, modern, and relaxed styleplay

    Example:

    The Woodstock generation attempted to swing freely

    Classified under:

    Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    live (lead a certain kind of life; live in a certain style)

    Sentence frame:

    Somebody ----s

    Sense 12

    Meaning:

    Hang freelyplay

    Example:

    The light dropped from the ceiling

    Synonyms:

    dangle; drop; swing

    Classified under:

    Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    hang (be suspended or hanging)

    Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "swing"):

    droop; loll (hang loosely or laxly)

    Sentence frames:

    Something ----s
    Something is ----ing PP

    Sentence example:

    The lights swing from the ceiling


    Derivation:

    swing (mechanical device used as a plaything to support someone swinging back and forth)

    swinging (changing location by moving back and forth)

    Sense 13

    Meaning:

    Have a certain musical rhythmplay

    Example:

    The music has to swing

    Classified under:

    Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

    Hypernyms (to "swing" is one way to...):

    be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

    Sentence frame:

    Something ----s

    Derivation:

    swing (a jaunty rhythm in music)

    swing (a style of jazz played by big bands popular in the 1930s; flowing rhythms but less complex than later styles of jazz)

    Credits

     Context examples: 

    Lattice-paned, lead framework, three separate windows, one swinging on hinge, and large enough to admit a man.

    (The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    At the top of the hill, however, they settled down into their swing once more.

    (Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    “There he goes,” said Holmes, as we watched the carriage swing and rock over the points.

    (The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    These sharp swings raised concerns about the impact to brain function.

    (Chronic high blood sugar may be detrimental to the developing brain of young children, NIH)

    Cycles in daily and annual sunlight cause the familiar swings in temperatures and seasons.

    (Deep-sea sediments lead to new understanding of solar system, National Science Foundation)

    Saturn will win this conversation, so double-check all your assumptions and wait a few days before you want to swing into action

    (AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

    When the dogs swung on a bend in the trail, he stepped over the rope.

    (Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

    Bad luck to you! and then he swung the bag upon his back, and went off without even once looking at the children.

    (Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

    But there is a hypothesis that our sun has a dark twin that likes to swing by every now and then, and stir things up.

    (Our Sun Could Have Been Born With an Evil Twin Called "Nemesis", The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

    OSIRIS-REx will make a swing by Earth next year to gain a gravity assist that will accelerate it even faster to reach Bennu, where it will eventually go into orbit.

    (Evening Launch Catapults OSIRIS-REx Toward Asteroid Encounter, NASA)


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