threw
v.-
1 past tense of throw (v.) A2 Elementarythe past tense of 'throw'. You use this when someone moved their arm quickly to send something through the air.
the simple past tense of the irregular verb 'throw'. It describes the action of propelling something through the air with force.
ExampleThe boy threw the ball to his dog in the park yesterday.
ExampleThe pitcher threw a fast curveball that completely fooled the batter, ending the inning and securing the team's lead.
UsageThis is the past tense form and does not change based on the subject (I threw, they threw).
PitfallHe 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'.
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2 past participle (informal) (v.) C1 Advanced Informal Dialecta casual way to say 'thrown'. Some people use this after 'have' or 'has' in informal speech.
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.
ExampleHe should have threw that old shirt away a long time ago.
ExampleIn 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.
UsageUsed as a past participle in place of 'thrown'.
Teacher's tipLearners should recognize this in casual speech but should always use 'thrown' in their own writing and formal speaking.
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.
Last updated June 19, 2026