Flung is the past tense of fling, which means to throw something with force and energy, usually without careful aim. When you fling a frisbee across the park, you're hurling it through the air with a quick, powerful motion. When a pitcher flings a fastball, or when you fling open a door in excitement, there's energy and speed in the movement.

The word carries a sense of abandon or intensity. You might carefully place a book on a shelf, but you'd fling your backpack onto your bed after a long day at school. Someone might fling their arms around a friend in an enthusiastic hug, or fling themselves into a new project with total commitment.

Flung often suggests the action was done quickly or without much planning. If someone asks where your jacket is and you realize you flung it somewhere when you got home, you tossed it without thinking about where it landed. The word captures that combination of force, speed, and a certain carelessness about exactly where something ends up.