Word
threw
US/ˈθɹu/
UK/θɹˈuː/
Definitions
01past tense of throw
v. the past tense of 'throw'. You use this when someone moved their arm quickly to send something through the air.
v. the simple past tense of the irregular verb 'throw'. It describes the action of propelling something through the air with force.
“The boy threw the ball to his dog in the park yesterday.”
“The pitcher threw a fast curveball that completely fooled the batter, ending the inning and securing the team's lead.”
Usage
This is the past tense form and does not change based on the subject (I threw, they threw).
Pitfall
He has threw the ball already.
He has thrown the ball already.
In standard English, 'threw' is only for the simple past. Use 'thrown' after 'have', 'has', or 'had'.
Antonyms
02past participle (informal)
v. a casual way to say 'thrown'. Some people use this after 'have' or 'has' in informal speech.
v. a non-standard past participle of 'throw'. While common in certain regional dialects and informal speech, it is generally avoided in academic or professional writing.
“He should have threw that old shirt away a long time ago.”
“In some regional dialects, you might hear a speaker say they 'should have threw' the rubbish out, though 'thrown' is the expected form in standard contexts.”
Informal · Dialect
Usage
Used as a past participle in place of 'thrown'.
Teaching tip
Learners should recognize this in casual speech but should always use 'thrown' in their own writing and formal speaking.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English threw, from Old English þrēaw (first and third person past tense of þrāwan), from West Germanic þreu, from Northwest Germanic þrerō, from Proto-Germanic þeþrō (first and third person past tense of þrēaną), reduplication of *þrēaną.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/threw