Swung is the past tense of the verb swing, which means to move back and forth through the air, usually while attached or pivoting at one point. When you swing on a playground swing, your body moves in an arc, forward and backward. When a baseball player swings at a pitch, the bat moves through the air in a powerful curve. A door swings open on its hinges, rotating from one position to another.

The word captures motion that follows a curved path rather than a straight line. A monkey that swung from branch to branch traveled through the trees using this arc-like movement. A pendulum in a grandfather clock swings steadily back and forth, marking time with its rhythm.

People use swung to describe all sorts of curved motion. A boxer might have swung a punch. You might have swung your backpack onto your shoulder in one smooth motion. When someone swung around to face you, they turned their whole body in your direction. The word suggests speed and momentum, like something that has built up energy as it moves through its arc.