verb
swing
SWIHNG
verb
1
To move back and forth or in a circular path while hanging from a fixed point.
"The children swung on the rope tied to the old oak tree."
"The pendulum swung steadily back and forth."
2
To change or fluctuate, especially between extremes.
"Her mood swung from joy to frustration within minutes."
noun
1
A seat suspended by ropes or chains that a person sits on and moves back and forth.
"The kids raced to the playground swing."
2
A change in the level of support, votes, or results.
"The poll showed a swing toward the challenger."
How to Use Swing
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo move back and forth (or a seat that does this), or a shift/change in something like an opinion or a score.
Common pairings
swing back and forth
a swing in the polls
swing set
Word Forms
swung past tense, swang past tense, swungen past tense, swings plural, Swings plural, swings singular
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Etymology
From Old English swingan, meaning "to strike, whip, or fling about" — related to the now-rare word swink, "to labor."