toss

1 of 2

verb

ˈtȯs 

ˈtäs

tossed; tossing; tosses

transitive verb

1

a

: to throw with a quick, light, or careless motion or with a sudden jerk

toss a ball around

b

: to throw up in the air

tossed by a bull

c

: match sense 5a

d

: to send as if by throwing

tossed in jail

tossed out of the game

e

: to get rid of : throw away

2

a

: to fling or lift with a sudden motion

tosses her head angrily

b

: to tilt suddenly so as to empty by drinking

tossed his glass

also : to consume by drinking

toss down a drink

3

a

: to fling or heave continuously about, to and fro, or up and down

a ship tossed by waves

b

: bandy sense 1

c

: to mix lightly until well coated with a dressing or until the elements are thoroughly combined

toss a salad

4

: to make uneasy : stir up : disturb

5

: to accomplish, provide, or produce readily or easily

toss off a few verses

6

: throw sense 5

toss a party

7

: vomit sense 1

—often used in the phrase toss one's cookies

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move restlessly or turbulently

especially : to twist and turn repeatedly

tossed sleeplessly all night

b

: to move with a quick or spirited gesture

2

: to decide an issue by flipping a coin

tosser noun

toss

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act or instance of tossing: such as

a

: throw, pitch

b

: an abrupt tilting or upward fling

c

: a deciding by chance and especially by flipping a coin

2

: the state or fact of being tossed

Synonyms

Verb

• careen
• lurch
• pitch
• rock
• roll
• seesaw
• sway
• wobble
• wabble

Choose the Right Synonym for toss

throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force.

throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm.

can throw a fastball and a curve

cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering.

cast it to the winds

toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion.

tossed the coat on the bed

fling stresses a violent throwing.

flung the ring back in his face

hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight.

hurled himself at the intruder

pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target.

pitch horseshoes

sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim.

slung the bag over his shoulder

Examples of toss in a Sentence

Verb

She tossed the ball high in the air.

She tossed the paper at the recycling bin.

He tossed his dirty socks onto the floor.

He tossed his head back.

She tossed her hair and smiled.

Waves tossed the ship about.

The ship tossed on the waves.

Noun

They decided what to do by a coin toss.

the toss of a coin

She threw her hair back with a toss of her head.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Place Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes on one tray, drizzle with 1½ teaspoons of olive oi, and toss together. —Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 26 Oct. 2024

Add the reserved pasta water if necessary and toss until the pasta is well coated. —Fox News, 25 Oct. 2024

Noun

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and toss to combine. —Martin Sorge, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2024

Add the flour mixture to the apples and toss until the apple slices are evenly coated. —Molly Bolton, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3a

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing toss

• argue the toss
• not give a toss
• ring toss
• throw/hurl/toss a monkey wrench into
• throw/toss one's hat in/into the ring
• toss and turn
• toss back
• toss/flip a coin
• toss in
• toss off
• toss out
• toss-up

Kids Definition

toss

verb

ˈtȯs,

ˈtäs

1

: to throw or swing to and fro or up and down

waves tossed the ship about

2

: to throw with a quick light motion

toss a ball into the air

3

: to lift with a sudden motion

toss the head

4

: to be thrown about rapidly

the river surged and tossed

5

: to move about restlessly

toss in one's sleep

6

: to stir or mix lightly

toss a salad

7

: to drink quickly

toss noun