Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense hurtles, present participle hurtling, past tense, past participle hurtled
verb
If someone or something hurtles somewhere, they move there very quickly, often in a rough or violent way.
A pretty young girl came hurtling down the stairs. [VERB preposition]
Synonyms: rush, charge, race, shoot More Synonyms of hurtle
hurtle in British English
(ˈhɜːtəl)
verb
1.
to project or be projected very quickly, noisily, or violently
2. (intransitive) rare
to collide or crash
Word origin
C13 hurtlen, from hurten to strike; see hurt1
hurtle in American English
(ˈhɜrtəl)
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈhurtled or ˈhurtling
1. Archaic
to dash (against or together) with great force or crushing impact; collide
2.
to move swiftly and with great force
verb transitive
3.
to throw, shoot, or fling with great force; hurl
noun
4. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic
the act of hurtling; collision; clash
Word origin
ME hurtlen, freq. of ME hurten: see hurt
Examples of 'hurtle' in a sentence
hurtle
This year is hurtling past at a terrifying speed.
The Sun (2016)
This year is hurtling past at a terrifying speed.
The Sun (2016)
Cars and vans hurtle through narrow lanes and high streets.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They came hurtling back by playing rugby.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The situation is not helped by motorists stuck in traffic jams seeing bicycles hurtle past.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It was so interesting we had to hurtle back to change in time for the dance.
Joan Rice Sand In My Shoes: Wartime Diaries of a WAAF (2006)
It was horrible to see him going to bed on a busy road with traffic hurtling past.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Instead it is a springboard upon which to hurtle back downwards at approaching the speed of light.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But then it came hurtling back centre stage.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We had lain naked in hot tubs out in the snow and been pulled by hurtling dog teams along a vast frozen river.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There is another way for those who don't want the scenery hurtling past.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Then the police car came hurtling past at about 140mph.
The Sun (2008)
Take mountain bikes up on ski lifts and hurtle back down, or ride easier special trails.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I waited for them to leap over the desk and send me hurtling back into the street.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It was a new experience being pummelled and shaken at the same time, as the train hurtled along.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Cars and lorries hurtle past him on roads that have no pavements, often coming within inches of knocking him into oblivion.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
How horrible it must be to play against him, to see your clean winners come hurtling back with mustard on them.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The airliner amazingly reached the runway threshold, but hurtling along at 100 miles an hour above its landing speed.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We had a grandstand view as bikes and cars hurtled past, and did we get our money's worth.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
When I mention how scary it must be to hurtle along roads at speed she looks at me with the merest whiff of contempt.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The news hurtled around the web, UFO chat rooms buzzed with excitement.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Experience has taught the long-suffering Arsenal star that any light at the end of a tunnel is usually an express train hurtling towards his hopes of glory.
The Sun (2015)
In other languages
hurtle
British English: hurtle VERB
If someone or something hurtles somewhere, they move there very quickly, often in a rough way.
A pretty young girl came hurtling down the stairs.
American English: hurtle
Brazilian Portuguese: correr
Chinese: 猛冲
European Spanish: precipitarse
French: se précipiter
German: rasen
Italian: precipitarsi
Japanese: 突進する
Korean: 큰 소리 내며 급히 움직이다
European Portuguese: correr
Latin American Spanish: precipitarse
(verb)
Definition
to move very quickly or violently
A pretty young girl came hurtling down the stairs.
Synonyms
rush
Someone inside the building rushed out.
charge
He charged into the room.
race
They raced away out of sight.
shoot
They had almost reached the boat when a figure shot past them.
fly
I flew downstairs.
speed
The engine noise rises only slightly as I speed along.
tear
The door flew open and she tore into the room.
crash
We heard the sound of an animal crashing through the undergrowth.
plunge
I plunged forward, calling her name.
barrel (along) (informal)
scramble
More than a million fans are expected to scramble for tickets.
spurt
The back wheel spun and the van spurted up the last few feet.
stampede
The crowd stampeded and many were crushed or trampled underfoot.
scoot
burn rubber (informal)
rush headlong
go hell for leather (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of charge
He charged into the room.
Synonyms
rush,
storm,
stampede
in the sense of crash
Definition
to drop with force and break into pieces with a loud noise
We heard the sound of an animal crashing through the undergrowth.