swing
[verb]
Synonyms:
- sway, oscillate, rock, veer, wave
- usually with round: turn, curve, pivot, rotate, swivel
- hang, dangle, suspend
[noun]
Synonyms:
- swaying, oscillation

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Related Words: undulate, wave, rock, roll, revolve, rotate, switch, wheel, jiggle, wag, waggle, wiggle, wigwag

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English Thesaurus: change, alter, adapt, adjust, modify, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. swing¹ W3 /swɪŋ/ verb (past tense and past participle swung /swʌŋ/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: swingan 'to beat, go quickly']

1. MOVE FROM A FIXED POINT [intransitive and transitive] to make regular movements forwards and backwards or from one side to another while hanging from a particular point, or to make something do this:
Let your arms swing as you walk.
a sign swinging in the wind
He was swinging his bag back and forth.
She swung her legs from side to side.
swing something by something
He marched around, swinging the gun by its handle.

2. MOVE IN A CURVE [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] to move quickly in a smooth curve in one direction, or to make something do this:
A black car swung into the drive.
Kate swung her legs out of bed.
swing open/shut
The heavy door swung shut.
Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she hurried on.

3. HIT [intransitive and transitive] to move your arm or something you are holding to try and hit something
swing something at somebody/something
She swung her bag at him.
swing at somebody/something (with something)
Garson swung at the ball and missed.
He started swinging at me with his fists.

4. CHANGE OPINIONS/EMOTIONS [intransitive and transitive] if emotions or opinions swing, or if something swings them, they change quickly to the opposite of what they were
swing from something to something
His mood could swing from joy to despair.
Do campaign gifts swing votes?
The war had begun to swing in Britain’s favor.
swing to the Right/Left (=in politics)

5. swing into action to suddenly begin work that needs doing, using a lot of energy and effort:
Politicians have already swung into action.

6. PLAY [intransitive] to sit on a swing and make it move backwards and forwards by moving your legs

7. ARRANGE SOMETHING [transitive] spoken to arrange for something to happen, although it takes a lot of effort to do this:
We managed to swing it so that they will travel together.

8. swing both ways informal someone who swings both ways is bisexual

9. swing the lead British English to avoid work by pretending to be ill
⇒ there’s not enough room to swing a cat at room¹(5)
swing around/round phrasal verb
to turn around quickly, or to make something do this:
She swung around to face him.
swing something/somebody ↔ around/round
He swung the boat around and headed for the shore.
swing by phrasal verb American English informal
swing by (something) to visit a place or person for a short time:
I’ll swing by the grocery store on my way.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. swing² noun

1. SEAT WITH ROPES [countable] a seat hanging from ropes or chains, usually used by children to play on by moving it forwards and backwards using their legs:
kids playing on the swings
a porch swing

2. MOVEMENT [countable] a curved movement made with your arm, leg etc:
He took a swing at (=tried to hit) my head and missed.
the swing of her hips as she walked

3. CHANGE [countable] a noticeable change in opinions or emotions
swing to/towards/between etc
a big swing towards right-wing ideology
She suffers from mood swings.

4. SPORTS [singular] the movement you make when you hit the ball in golf, baseball, or some other sports:
I spent months correcting my swing.

5. MUSIC [uncountable] a type of dance music played by a big band in the 1930s and 1940s that is similar to jazz

6. get into the swing of it/things to become fully involved in an activity:
Once we got into the swing of it, it took no time at all.

7. be in full swing if an event or process is in full swing, it has reached its highest level of activity:
By midnight, the end-of-course party was in full swing.

8. go with a swing British English if a party or activity goes with a swing, it is enjoyable and successful:
everything you need to make your party go with a swing

9. swings and roundabouts British English used to say that two choices have an equal number of gains and losses, so there is little difference between them

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

swing
noun
I. change in public opinion, sb's mood, etc.
ADJ. big, dramatic, huge, sharp, violent violent swings in policy
modest, small | 10%, etc. | adverse, negative The Conservatives suffered an adverse swing of 6%.
sudden, wild his sudden swings of mood
late a late swing towards the Tories
national | electoral | mood She suffers from severe mood swings.
VERB + SWING need, require The party needs a swing of only 2.5% to win the seat.
represent This represents a swing of 14% towards Labour.
suffer (from)
PREP. ~ against a dramatic swing against the socialists
~ away from the swing away from science in the sixth form
~ from, ~ in a sharp swing in the attitudes of many economists
~ to/towards/in favour of signs of a late swing to the Democrats

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

swing
II. swinging movement
ADJ. wild | backward, forward | golf | practice
VERB + SWING do, make, take the technique for making the perfect golf swing
change | practise golfers practising their swings
PREP. ~ at He took a wild swing at the ball.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

swing
III. swinging seat
VERB + SWING go/play on Some kids were playing on the swings.
PREP. on a/the ~

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

swing
verb
I. move backwards and forwards/from side to side
ADV. gently, slowly | violently, wildly She lashed out, her arm swinging wildly.
back and forth, backwards and forwards, from side to side, to and fro The pendulum swung slowly backwards and forwards.
PREP. from I could see him swinging from the branch of a large tree.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

swing
II. move smoothly
VERB + SWING slowly | suddenly | sharply The road swung sharply round.
across, around/round, away, back, down, off, up Hearing a sarcastic note in his voice, she swung around to face him.
VERB + SWING let sth She let the door swing shut behind her.
PREP. from She swung down from the tree in one easy movement.
into He swung up into the saddle and rode off.
towards Niccolo ` swung towards her.
PHRASES swing open/shut/to

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

swing
III. change quickly
ADV. rapidly | suddenly | wildly The balance of power swung wildly from one party to the other.
heavily Opinion swung heavily to the left.
PREP. from, to Her mood could swing rapidly from gloom to exhilaration.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
economic reform
The Prime Minister has promised to push ahead with economic reform.
political/democratic/constitutional reform
He stressed that democratic reform could not be achieved overnight.
tax reform
The Chancellor's proposals for tax reform met strong resistance in the Commons.
education reform
Teachers say the government's education reforms are causing stress.
a major reform
He called for a major reform of the drug laws.
radical reform (=very big and important changes)
His government adopted a policy of radical reform.
fundamental reform (=changes to the most basic and important parts of something)
He wants fundamental reform of the EU's agricultural policy.
far-reaching/sweeping reforms (=reforms that affect many things or have a great effect)
The new government instituted a series of far-reaching reforms.
make/carry out reforms
They haven't made any real reforms.
introduce reforms
They increased pressure on the government to introduce political reforms.
push through reforms (=make them happen)
He has so far failed to push through much-needed economic reforms.
implement reforms (=carry out planned reforms)
Much will depend on how local managers implement the reforms.
a package/programme of reforms
A package of reforms was approved by the National Assembly on April 12.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
transform to change something completely, especially so that it is much better:
Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great!
Putin transformed the Russian economy.
revolutionize to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention:
Computers have revolutionized the way we work.
This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
distort to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are:
The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts.
Don’t try to distort the truth.
twist to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion:
He accused reporters of twisting his words.
In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.
misrepresent to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say:
I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion.
He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him.
big/major
Going to a new school is a big change for children.
slight/small/minor
The proposed changes were relatively minor.
gradual
There has been a gradual change in the weather.
dramatic/drastic/radical (=very big, especially in way that is surprising)
The Industrial Revolution was a period of dramatic change.
significant
The change in blood pressure was not significant.
marked (=very noticeable)
There was a marked change in his behaviour.
fundamental
Reducing waste requires a fundamental change in attitude.
social/political/economic etc change
Demands for political and social change are growing.
sweeping changes (=affecting many things or people, especially because of an official decision)
There are likely to be sweeping changes in the company.
far-reaching changes (=important and having a great effect that will last a long time)
The Internet has brought about far-reaching changes in the way we work.
make a change
We've had to make some changes to the design.
introduce a change
A number of changes were introduced to the curriculum.
bring (about) change (also effect a change formal) (=cause change)
The war brought about radical social change.
Treatment is aimed at effecting a change in the child’s negative behaviour.
see/notice/observe a change
I saw a big change in her when I met her again.
undergo a change (=be affected by a change)
The body undergoes a number of changes during this time.
signal a change (=be a sign of a change)
Does this move signal a change in US foreign policy?
the pace/rate of change
People sometimes feel alarmed by the pace of technological change.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.
transformation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in which something or someone becomes completely different:
There has been a complete transformation in his attitude since he became a father.
her transformation from shy local girl to famous movie actress
revolution noun [countable] a complete change in ways of thinking or working:
The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution.
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity started a revolution in scientific thinking.
shake-up noun [countable] a situation in which a lot of changes are very quickly made in a system or organization in order to make it more effective:
The department has not performed well and is badly in need of a shake-up.
The Administration is planning a thorough shake-up of the welfare system.
U-turn noun [countable] a complete change in the plans of a government or political party so that it decides to do the opposite of what it originally said it would do:
The government was forced to do a U-turn after angry protests about their taxation policy.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

change noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which someone or something becomes different, or the act of making something different:
There was a sudden change in the weather.
We are living in a period of great change.
He was told to make some slight changes to his essay.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
reform noun [uncountable and countable] a change made to a system or law in order to improve it:
He called for a reform of our outdated voting system.
Many people opposed the economic reforms.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

swing
to make something happen
I do not know if I can swing buying an expensive present for my girlfriend.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

swing something
to make something happen
I do not know if I can swing buying an expensive present for my girlfriend.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

swing
swɪŋ
See: in full swing

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲