hurl

hurl — verb

1. to use a strong arm movement to send an object flying through the air, usually b

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to use a strong arm movement to send an object flying through the air, usually because you feel angry or violent

Example

Karim hurled the ball across the field toward the goal.

hurl + object + preposition phrase for direction

During the protest, someone hurled a bottle at the police line.

hurl + object + at [target] for angry throwing

Common collocations
  • hurl a ball
  • hurl a stone
  • hurl a bottle
  • hurl a spear
  • hurl across the room
  • hurl at someone
Synonyms
  • fling

    similar force but often more reckless or careless; less hostile than hurl

  • toss

    much gentler, no anger implied

  • pitch

    more controlled, often used in baseball or cricket

Antonyms
  • catch

    receiving instead of throwing

  • hold

    keeping rather than releasing

Grammar Patterns

hurl + object + preposition + target

Usage Note

Object is often something throwable — a ball, stone, bottle, or weapon. The preposition signals the direction or target: at (hostile), toward/into (neutral direction), across/over (distance).

Common Mistakes

He hurled the ball to me gently.
He tossed the ball to me gently.
hurl implies great force, not gentle throwing.
She hurled the letter in the mailbox.
She dropped the letter in the mailbox.
hurl is too forceful for ordinary actions.

2. to shout angry or offensive words at someone, or to direct strong criticism towa

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to shout angry or offensive words at someone, or to direct strong criticism toward someone

Example

The crowd hurled insults at the referee after the unfair decision.

hurl insults at [person]

Léa hurled accusations at her business partner during the meeting.

hurl accusations at [person]

Common collocations
  • hurl insults
  • hurl abuse
  • hurl accusations
  • hurl criticism
  • hurl at someone
Synonyms
  • shout

    general loud speech; does not imply insults specifically

  • fling

    also works with insults/accusations; slightly less forceful

  • level at

    more formal; used for criticism or accusations

Antonyms
  • praise

    expressing approval instead of anger

  • compliment

    offering positive rather than negative words

Grammar Patterns

hurl + insults/abuse/criticisms + at + person

Usage Note

The object is always verbal — insults, abuse, accusations, criticism. The target is introduced by the preposition at. This sense works for both direct shouting and metaphorical verbal attacks in writing or formal speech.

Common Mistakes

He hurled a gift at her.
He hurled insults at her.
the object must be words or criticism, not physical presents.

3. to bring up the contents of your stomach through your mouth because you feel sic

3.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to bring up the contents of your stomach through your mouth because you feel sick

Example

Saira had too much wine at the party and hurled behind the garden shed.

informal use: hurl = vomit; no object needed

The child hurled his dinner all over the kitchen table after catching a stomach bug.

hurl + contents — transitive informal use

Common collocations
  • nearly hurled
  • going to hurl
  • hurl all over something
  • hurl one's dinner
Synonyms
  • vomit

    neutral/medical, no register restriction

  • throw up

    also informal, very common in everyday speech

  • be sick

    British English, neutral register

Grammar Patterns

hurl (no object) | hurl + object (contents)

Usage Note

Strictly informal. Avoid in medical or formal writing — use vomit, be sick, or throw up instead. Common in casual conversation among friends and in informal fiction. Can be used intransitively (he hurled) or transitively with the stomach contents (he hurled his lunch).

Common Mistakes

The patient hurled three times during the night.' (medical report)
The patient vomited three times during the night.
hurl is too informal for clinical contexts.
He hurled up his dinner.
He hurled his dinner.
do not add up; hurl already includes the idea of upward ejection.

hurl — noun

Word family

  • hurls
    verbB1
  • hurling
    verbB1
  • hurled
    verbB1
  • hurling
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Hurl, fling, toss, and pitch all describe sending something through the air with your hand, but they differ in force and emotion. Hurl is the strongest: it implies anger or violence and maximum effort, as when a protester hurls a bottle or a player hurls a ball toward the goal. Fling is similar in force but suggests a wider, more careless motion — you fling a coat onto a chair or fling a handful of confetti into the air. Toss is the gentlest of the four, used for light objects and casual, aimless throwing: you toss a coin or toss someone an apple. Pitch sits between toss and hurl in effort and is more controlled; it is the standard word in baseball and cricket for delivering the ball to the batter. Choose hurl when you want to convey raw force and anger; choose toss for low-stakes, friendly throwing; choose fling when the motion is broad and slightly uncontrolled; and choose pitch for sport-related, aimed throws.

hurl ↗fling ↗toss ↗pitch ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • hurl insults at
  • hurl abuse at
  • hurl accusations at
  • hurl criticism at
  • hurl something at someone
  • hurl oneself into

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word hurl comes from Middle English hurlen, which may have come from an old Germanic source related to 'whirl' or 'hurtle.' The earliest known meaning was 'to rush or dash violently,' which shifted toward 'to throw violently' by the 1400s. The 'vomit' sense appeared in American English slang in the mid-1800s, drawing on the idea of forcefully ejecting something. The noun sense — the stick used in the Irish sport of hurling — comes directly from the Irish sport's name, which itself is related to the verb, referring to the vigorous throwing motion of the game.