swing
/swɪŋ
/verb (swings, swinging; past and past participle swung /swʌŋ/)
1Move or cause to move back and forth or from side to side while suspended or on an axis: [no object]: her long black skirt swung about her legs the door swung shut behind him [with object]: a priest began swinging a censer (as adjective swinging) local girls with their castanets and their swinging hips...
- The heavy black oak door swung to behind me with a muffled moan of protesting hinges.
- I could see the shed in the distance, and I watched in horror as the door began to swing shut.
- The litter was carried through the entrance, and the door was swung shut behind them.
Synonyms
sway, oscillate, move back and forth, move to and fro, wave, wag, dangle, rock, flutter, flap, vibrate, quiver
brandish, wave, flourish, wield, raise, shake, wag, twirl
1.1 [no object] informal Be executed by hanging: now he was going to swing for it...
- It wasn't a hanging offence but he swung for it anyway.
- Nobody should get away with planting a bomb in a public place without swinging for it.
- He will swing for it next week, unless a petition for his life takes effect.
1.2 [with object] Turn (a ship or aircraft) to all compass points in succession, in order to test compass error.Before the ship puts to sea, it is swung through the complete circle from 0° to 360°....
- The Compass Engineer will swing the ship through the major compass points and determine the deviation on each point.
- Much importance is also attached to the swinging of ships in dock before going to sea.
2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] Move by grasping a support from below and leaping: we swung across like two trapeze artists (swing oneself) the Irishman swung himself into the saddle...
- He tied a rope to a limb and would swing out, leap into the air and land, usually, on his feet.
- Gripping the supports, I swung out above the water, the air heavy and damp, the sky grey.
- Others never quite take the leap, unable to climb the ladder and unwilling to swing off the trapeze platform.
2.1Move quickly round to the opposite direction: Ronni had swung round to face him...
- I push the tiller across and as the boat swings round I stand up and move across the boat.
- On the final approach to the climb the road turns sharply back on itself and, just when I need it most, the wind which has been in my face all day swings round to assist me.
- The thought causes Julia to grimace for a moment until a figure swings round in front of her.
2.2Move with a rhythmic swaying gait: the riflemen swung along smartly...
- If your gait swings so that your feet are pointed outward or inward, you may end up with the duck or the pigeon-toed walking styles.
- Cath got to school at around seven thirty and swung along to the main office.
- He whistled and hummed old tunes as he swung along.
Synonyms
stride, march, sweep;
stroll
North American informal sashay
3 [with adverbial of direction] Move or cause to move in a smooth, curving line: [with object]: she swung her legs to the side of the bed [no object]: the cab swung into the car park...
- She carefully walked her bike over to the starting line and swung her leg so she was straddling the bike.
- He recoiled revealing another who swung his gun into line with me.
- I unzip my bag, swing my legs and feet to the floor, and dress.
3.1 [with object] Bring down (something held) with a curving movement, typically in order to hit an object: I swung the club and missed the ball...
- But then, instead of swinging the club back, simply bring it to the halfway position I've described.
- In one fluid motion Carlotta swung the torch and clubbed Don Antonio as hard as she could over the head.
- He first suggested he might skip the Masters in January, when his lower back caused problems swinging the club.
3.2 [no object] (swing at) Attempt to hit or punch, typically with a wide curving movement of the arm: he swung at me with the tyre wrench...
- The leader swung at him, but Jack stepped around the punch and jammed the knife in the man's spine.
- He ducked as she swung at him then lunged upward, throwing a hard punch at her jaw.
- She grumbled, swinging at him, knowing well that he would catch her punch before it even came close to landing.
3.3Deliver (a punch) with a wide curving movement of the arm: she swung a punch at him...
- I mean, perhaps the prisoner had himself swung a punch around the corner where you couldn't see it.
- He swung a punch at her face causing her to fall and then grabbed her by the coat, dragging her along and spitting at her.
- The teenager said he was only acting in self-defence when the youth swung a punch at him.
3.4 [with object] Cricket (Of a bowler) make a delivery of (a ball) deviate sideways from a regular course in the air.Sure enough, Bangladesh were soon in trouble as Sri Lanka's fast bowlers swung the new ball, grabbing three quick wickets after the tea interval....
- In the one day arena, few bowlers swing the ball away from the right-hander for fear of bowling wides.
- He was a dangerous bowler who could swing the ball both ways and in 21 Test matches took 78 wickets costing 27.13 per wicket.
3.5 [no object] Cricket (Of a delivery) deviate sideways from a regular course.The ball will swing for most of the innings, in fact prodigiously in the first few overs....
- By the time it was our turn to field, the conditions were more favourable for bowling, the ball was swinging and Botham took a couple of wonderful catches.
- One ball swung away in the air and was at least a couple of feet outside Viswanath's off stump before it started curling in.
4Shift or cause to shift from one opinion, mood, or state of affairs to another: [no object]: opinion swung in the Chancellor’s favour [with object]: the failure to seek peace could swing sentiment the other way...
- As opinion has swung against them, so society's attitude to fatherhood has also begun to change.
- But public opinion has swung against off-roading, and the police are now actively seeking solutions.
- As a genius, his thoughts and opinions don't have to be consistent because they swing with whatever mood he happens to be in.
Synonyms
change, fluctuate, oscillate, waver, alternate, see-saw, yo-yo, vary, shift, alter, undulate, ebb and flow, rise and fall, go up and down, go back and forth
4.1 [with object] Have a decisive influence on (something, especially a vote or election): an attempt to swing the vote in their favour...
- This volatile issue was used to mobilize voters and swing elections at all levels.
- Today cognitive scientists pre-test messages and images with focus groups comprising types of voters who might swing an election.
- Only thirty students from the state school are registered to vote, so it isn't likely to swing the election.
4.2 [with object] informal Succeed in bringing about: what swung it was the £17,000 she offered the panel to let her win...
- Even as late as 2000, he could probably have swung it.
- At Manchester United, you had Monday morning and all day Thursday on academic things, so that's what swung it.
- But the thing she believes really swung it was that her husband was foreign and not even European.
Synonyms
accomplish, achieve, obtain, acquire, get, secure, net, win, earn, attain, bag, capture, grab, hook;
manoeuvre, sort out
informal wangle, land, fix (up), work, get hold of, nab, collar, pull down, knock off
5 [no object] Play music with a flowing but vigorous rhythm: the band swung on...
- Ellington could swing with the strains of Egypt as much as the wails of Harlem.
- It took Fats a tune or two to get over his initial discomfort, but soon he was swinging like only Fats Waller could swing.
- Jazz bands swing, they groove, they jump, smoke, wail and wig out.
5.1(Of music) be played with a flowing but vigorous rhythm.Back among their brethren in Harlem many took comfort in late-night jams - where the music really swung - but also in drink and hard drugs....
- The music swings and the professionals perform elaborately energetic movements.
- These dozen folk-punk songs swing with an infectious rhythm.
6 [no object] informal (Of an event, place, or way of life) be lively, exciting, or fashionable.Lam Morrisson & Band provided the live music and the place was really swinging....
- The party was swinging all night long.
- After all, this was the 60s and London was swinging.
7 [no object] informal Be promiscuous, especially by engaging in group sex or swapping sexual partners.I would like to get them to swing more often to impress my partner....
- It doesn't mean your husband is bored with you but don't get too mad if he does swing with another partner at the club.
- We know a few couples who swing regularly.
noun
1A seat suspended by ropes or chains, on which someone may sit and swing back and forth.The chains that had been holding the seat of the swing up were still sticking straight out....
- An electricity company is warning children to stay away from its cables after workers found a rope swing attached to live wires.
- All that's left are a couple of lengths of chain, swings long gone.
1.1A period of time spent swinging back and forth on a seat suspended by ropes or chains.I decided it would be irresponsible of me to leave without ensuring that they worked properly. So I had a swing for 5 minutes....
- Go into the play ground and have a swing on the swings.
2An act of swinging: with the swing of her arm, the knife flashed through the air...
- Warm hands brushed my shoulders and I shrieked, lashing out with a violent swing of my arms.
- Turning with a swing of his arms, Randy loped down the steps and across the grass to his own home, already noisy with the bickering of his parents.
- Dean punctuated the moment with a swing of his arm and a yell.
Synonyms
swaying, oscillation, undulation;
wagging, toing and froing, wobble;
Astronomy libration
2.1The manner in which a golf club or a bat is swung: the flaws in his swing weren’t evident when he was an amateur...
- The researchers referred to timing as those forces that are applied to the golf club during the swing.
- A proper stroke has been compared to the proper swing of a golf club.
- In addition to the above, other factors need to be considered and corrected to improve your golf swing.
2.2 [mass noun] The motion of swinging: this short cut gave her hair new movement and swing...
- Here, layers are added at the chin length to increase hair volume and give some swing.
- A full skirt adds swing and style.
- Until the 1920s, the most accurate timepieces depended on the regular swing of a pendulum.
2.3An attempted blow or punch: Neil took a swing at her...
- There were some swings and some punches as well as a few cheap kicks.
- She quickly turned back around and took a swing to punch me in the face but I jerked my head back so she could miss.
- After that, I snapped back to reality and started dodging his punches and swings.
2.4 [mass noun] Cricket Sideways deviation of the ball from a regular path: [as modifier]: a swing bowler...
- Does it surprise you that genuine swing bowlers are such a rare breed these days?
- Bowlers depending on swing have traditionally fared well here.
- The breakthrough came from Jones, an inspiration at times, who had begun to gain some swing as the ball scuffed.
3A discernible change in opinion, especially the amount by which votes or points scored change from one side to another: a five per cent swing to Labour...
- Minor parties tend not to be elected, and the constituency system exaggerates national swings in votes to produce a larger than proportional swing in the numbers of seats won or lost.
- A swing of three million votes is gigantic in our society where party allegiances are formed in childhood and reinforced by an omnipresent media.
- A swing of 100,000 votes in a over two decades is quite phenomenal, and it points to a future where Unionists can no longer demand that it is their way or the highway.
Synonyms
change, move;
turnaround, turnround, turnabout, reversal, about turn, about face, volte face, change of heart, change of loyalties, U-turn, sea change, swerve, backtracking
rare tergiversation
trend, tendency, drift, movement, current, course
fluctuation, change, shift, switch, variation, oscillation
4 [mass noun] A style of jazz or dance music with a flowing but vigorous rhythm.His choreography is full of intricate rhythms done with up-tempo swing and other driving jazz music forms....
- It's certainly not easy for a jazz pianist famous for swing to turn over to bebop.
- The band has a wide appeal, playing everything from small band swing to Dixieland jazz and 50s influenced rhythm and blues.
Synonyms
rhythm, beat, pulse, cadence, pace, rhythmical flow/pattern, measure, metre, tempo, lilt
informal groove
4.1The rhythmic feeling or drive of swing.On record, he is a master of filling spaces with innovative licks, whilst still leaving enough room for the music's swing and rhythm to ease the tunes along....
- It is perhaps the busiest of the productions on the album working more of a swing into its rhythmic structure.
- But it's the song's swing rather than its lyrics that keep it agitated.
5North American A swift tour involving a number of stops, especially one undertaken as part of a political campaign.Also afterwards, President Bush opened a five-day campaign swing with a bus tour in Florida....
- Cheney just finished a campaign swing through Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
- Now his comments came ahead of a campaign swing by President Bush.
6(In musical theatre) an understudy, typically one who covers multiple roles in the chorus of a particular production.Beginning as a swing and understudy in 1996, the teenager eventually scored a major role and performed the lead as an understudy about ten times....
- Former Joffrey dancer Meg Paul, who has been with the production from its workshop days as both a swing and an understudy, is now also a dance captain.
- Powell went on a week after she was hired as a swing on Hairspray.
Phrases
get (back) into the swing of things
go with a swing
in full swing
swing both ways
swing for the fences
swing the lead
swings and roundabouts
swing into action
Origin
Old English swingan 'to beat, whip', also 'rush', geswing 'a stroke with a weapon', of Germanic origin; related to German schwingen 'brandish'.
Our word swing meant both ‘to beat or whip’ and ‘to rush, to fling yourself’ in Old English. The ‘playground swing’ sense of the noun dates from the late 17th century. The saying what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts (early 20th century), usually shortened to swings and roundabouts is a metaphor not from the playground but from the fairground. To swing the lead is nautical. Swinging the lead was the job of lowering a lump of lead on a rope to ascertain the depth of water, a task which in itself was quite important but which sailors perhaps sometimes deliberately did as slowly as possible to avoid being assigned a more strenuous duty. Swing (late 19th century) is an easy flowing but vigorous rhythm, especially in jazz. ‘It don't mean a thing / If it ain't got that swing’ is from the song ‘It Don't Mean a Thing’ (1932), by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills. In the 1930s a swinger was a jazz musician who played with ‘swing’. The 1960s saw the swinger become a lively, fashionable person, and also someone who was into partner-swapping or group sex—known as swinging.