swing

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

• “He swung his left fist”
• “swing a bat”

move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner

• “He swung back”

change direction with a swinging motion; turn

• “swing back”
• “swing forward”

influence decisively

• “This action swung many votes over to his side”

make a big sweeping gesture or movement

hang freely

• “the ornaments dangled from the tree”
• “The light dropped from the ceiling”

hit or aim at with a sweeping arm movement

• “The soccer player began to swing at the referee”

alternate dramatically between high and low values

• “his mood swings”
• “the market is swinging up and down”

live in a lively, modern, and relaxed style

• “The Woodstock generation attempted to swing freely”

have a certain musical rhythm

• “The music has to swing”

be a social swinger; socialize a lot

play with a subtle and intuitively felt sense of rhythm

engage freely in promiscuous sex, often with the husband or wife of one''s friends

• “There were many swinging couples in the 1960”

a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity

• “the party went with a swing”
• “it took time to get into the swing of things”

mechanical device used as a plaything to support someone swinging back and forth

a sweeping blow or stroke

• “he took a wild swing at my head”

changing location by moving back and forth

a style of jazz played by big bands popular in the 1930s; flowing rhythms but less complex than later styles of jazz

a jaunty rhythm in music

the act of swinging a golf club at a golf ball and (usually) hitting it

in baseball; a batter''s attempt to hit a pitched ball

• “he took a vicious cut at the ball”

a square dance figure; a pair of dancers join hands and dance around a point between them