hurtle

/ˈhɜːtl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɜːrtl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhər-tᵊl/ (ame, mw)

hurtle — verb

  • hurtlepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • hurtleshe / she / it
  • hurtledpast simple
  • hurtling-ing form

1. to rush forward very fast in an uncontrolled or unsafe manner, typically because

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to rush forward very fast in an uncontrolled or unsafe manner, typically because of momentum, gravity, or a loss of control

例句

A delivery van hurtled down the icy hill, its brakes screeching the whole way.

hurtle + adverb/preposition phrase (down/along/toward/through)

The cyclist lost control and hurtled over the handlebars onto the grass.

同義詞
  • rush

    less dramatic; can describe ordinary speed without danger

  • plummet

    specifically downward; implies falling more than forward motion

  • careen

    suggests swaying or lurching side to side while moving fast

反義詞
  • crawl

    to move extremely slowly

  • creep

    to move slowly and carefully

文法句型

hurtle + adverb/preposition phrase

用法筆記

Almost always followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase indicating direction (down, along, toward, through, past). The subject is typically a moving vehicle, a person who has fallen, or an object set in motion.

常見錯誤

❌The car hurtled.
✅The car hurtled down the sloping road.
💡hurtle almost always needs a direction phrase; it is rarely used alone.
❌He hurtled with his friends at the park.
✅The boys hurtled down the hill on their scooters.
💡hurtle implies fast, uncontrolled movement, not ordinary playing or running.

2. to send something flying through the air with tremendous force, as if launching

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to send something flying through the air with tremendous force, as if launching or flinging it

例句

The pitcher hurtled the ball toward the catcher at more than ninety miles an hour.

hurtle + object + toward + destination

Vikram hurtled the empty bottle into the recycling bin from across the kitchen.

同義詞
  • hurl

    the closest synonym; essentially interchangeable, though hurl is more common

  • fling

    suggests a wild, sweeping arm motion rather than a precise throw

  • lob

    a gentler, higher-arc throw; much less forceful than hurtle

反義詞
  • catch

    to receive something thrown

  • hold

    to keep something in your hand rather than throwing it

文法句型

hurtle + object + adverb/preposition phrase

用法筆記

Frequently takes a direct object plus a prepositional phrase that indicates the target (at, toward) or destination (into, onto, over). The object must be something that can be thrown by hand or launched.

常見錯誤

❌He hurtled the ball.
✅He hurtled the ball toward his friend.
💡hurtle needs both an object and a direction phrase in this sense.
❌She hurtled him a book.
✅She hurtled the book at the shelf.
💡hurts not used for giving; it is for forceful throwing.