English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

verb

hurtle

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Hurtle (verb) means to throw something with great force.

verb

1

To throw something with great force.

"He hurtled the wad of paper angrily at the trash can and missed by a mile."

2

To make someone or something crash hard into another person or thing, or to crash into one another this way.

3

To criticise or attack someone strongly, either in speech or in writing.

4

To move very fast and out of control, often noisily.

"Pieces of broken glass hurtled through the air."

"The car hurtled down the hill at 90 miles per hour."

Easily confused with

hurdle →

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English hurtelen, hurtlen (“to cast, hurl, throw; to charge at; to clash in combat, fight; to collide; to injure; to knock down; to propel, push, thrust; to rush; to stumble”) [and other forms], from hurten (“to injure, wound, hurt (physically or figuratively); to damage, impair; to hurt one’s feelings, humiliate; to receive an injury; to collide into; to propel, push, thrust; to stumble”) (see further at English hurt (verb)) + -el-, -elen (frequentative suffix). The English word is analysable as hurt (“(obsolete) to knock; to strike”) + -le (frequentative suffix). The noun is derived from the verb.

Synonyms

hurl cast lunge thrust

Related words

put hit project range drop choose sick draw

Rhymes for hurtle

turtle

See all rhymes for hurtle →

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of hurtle?

"hurtle" (verb) means to throw something with great force.

What is another word for hurtle?

Other words for "hurtle" include hurl, cast, lunge, thrust.

What are the different meanings of hurtle?

"hurtle" has 3 main meanings: 1. To throw something with great force; 2. To make someone or something crash hard into another person or thing, or to crash into one another this way; 3. To criticise or attack someone strongly, either in speech or in writing.

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put hit project range drop choose sick draw

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · etymology from Wiktionary