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Fling vs Flick - What's the difference?

fling | flick |

As nouns the difference between fling and flick

is that fling is an act of throwing, often violently while flick is a short, quick movement, especially a brush, sweep, or flip.

As verbs the difference between fling and flick

is that fling is to throw with violence or quick movement; to hurl while flick is to move or hit (something) with a short, quick motion.

fling

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An act of throwing, often violently.
  • An act of moving the limbs or body with violent movements, especially in a dance.
    • the fling of a horse
  • An act or period of unrestrained indulgence.
  • * D. Jerrold
    • When I was as young as you, I had my fling . I led a life of pleasure.
  • Short, often sexual relationship.
    • I had a fling with a girl I met on holiday.
  • (figuratively) An attempt, a try (as in "give it a fling" ).
  • (obsolete) A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm.
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • I, who love to have a fling , / Both at senate house and king.
  • A kind of dance.
    • the Highland fling
  • (obsolete) A trifing matter; an object of contempt.
  • * Old proverb
    • England were but a fling / Save for the crooked stick and the grey goose wing.

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    Verb

  • To throw with violence or quick movement; to hurl.
  • * Dryden
    • 'Tis Fate that flings the dice: and, as she flings, / Of kings makes peasants, and of peasants kings.
  • * Addison
    • I know thy generous temper well. / Fling but the appearance of dishonour on it, / It straight takes fire.
  • * 2011 , Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15210221.stm]
    • Wilkinson was struggling, sending the re-start straight into touch and flinging a pass the same way, and France then went close to the first try of the contest as Clerc took a long pass out on the left and was just bundled into touch by the corner flag.
  • (archaic) To throw oneself in a violent or hasty manner; to rush or spring with violence or haste.
  • * Milton
    • And crop-full, out of doors he flings .
  • * Elizabeth Browning
    • I flung' closer to his breast, / As sword that, after battle, ' flings to sheath.
  • (archaic) To throw; to wince; to flounce.
  • * Helen Crocket, The Ettrick Shepherd's Last Tale
    • The horse flung most potently, making his heels fly aloft in the air.
  • (archaic) To utter abusive language; to sneer.
    • The scold began to flout and fling .

    flick

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A short, quick movement, especially a brush, sweep, or flip.
    • He removed the speck of dust with a flick of his finger.
    She gave a disdainful flick of her hair and marched out of the room.
  • *{{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 5 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Newcastle 0 - 0 West Ham , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=On this occasion it was Nolan's deft flick that fooled West Ham's sleepy defenders Danny Gabbidon and Tomkins. The ball found its way to Best, who smashed in with confidence from the edge of the area.}}
  • (informal) A motion picture; (in plural, usually preceded by "the") movie theater, cinema.
    • My all-time favorite flick is "Gone with the Wind."
    Want to go to the flicks tonight?
  • (fencing) A cut that lands with the point, often involving a whip of the foible of the blade to strike at a concealed target.
  • (tennis) A powerful underarm volley shot.
  • *{{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=June 28 , author=David Ornstein , title=Wimbledon 2011: Victoria Azarenka beats Tamira Paszek in quarters , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The fourth seed was dominating her 20-year-old opponent with a series of stinging groundstrokes and athletic drive-volleys, striking again in game five when Paszek flicked a forehand pick-up into the tramlines.}}
  • The act of pressing a place on a touch screen device.
  • A flitch.
    • a flick of bacon

    Synonyms

    * (short, quick movement)'' fillip (''of the finger ) * (cinema) the pictures

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To move or hit (something) with a short, quick motion.
    • flick one's hair
    with a flick of the wrist
    to flick the dirt from boots
  • * '>citation
    • Using her hands like windshield wipers, she tried to flick snow away from her mouth. When she clawed at her chest and neck, the crumbs maddeningly slid back onto her face. She grew claustrophobic.
    (Thackeray)

    Derived terms

    * flick knife * flick off * flick the bean

    Related terms

    * flicker ----