Word
hurl
US/ˈhɝɫ/
UK/hˈɜːl/
Definition
v. to throw something with a lot of force and speed. You use this when you want to show that someone is very angry or just throwing something hard.
v. to throw something forcefully or violently. Often used to describe the act of throwing a ball in sports or the physical manifestation of intense anger.
Examples
“He hurled the ball across the field.”
“The angry crowd hurled stones at the police as they tried to enter the stadium.”
“In the heat of the argument, he hurled his coffee cup against the wall, leaving a large stain that would take hours to clean.”
Examples
simple
“He hurled the ball across the field.”
contextual
“The angry crowd hurled stones at the police as they tried to enter the stadium.”
complex
“In the heat of the argument, he hurled his coffee cup against the wall, leaving a large stain that would take hours to clean.”
Real-World Examples
“Enraged, he painted his spear in the red dye of annatto seeds and hurled it into the siblings, fusing their bodies together, and threw them into the river, where they transformed into dolphins.” “Hours later unidentified attackers hurled petrol bombs and smashed windows at his home in Bangladesh, but no one was hurt, police said.” Etymology
Inherited from Middle English hurlen, of onomatopoeic origin; compare hurry, hurtle.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hurl