To fling means to throw something with force and without much care for where it lands. When you fling a frisbee across the yard, you're tossing it with energy and abandon. When an angry character in a story flings open a door, they throw it open dramatically rather than opening it carefully.

The word suggests a certain wildness or lack of precision. You might fling your backpack onto your bed after school, or fling yourself into a pile of autumn leaves. A dancer might fling her arms wide during a performance.

As a noun, a fling can mean a brief period of wild fun or excitement. Someone might talk about a last fling before settling down to serious work, meaning one final burst of carefree enjoyment.

The past tense is flung: “She flung the ball as far as she could.” Notice how fling feels more dramatic and energetic than simply “throw.” You wouldn't say someone flung a raw egg to their cooking partner, you'd say they tossed it carefully. Fling captures that sense of powerful, sometimes reckless motion.