hurtling

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hurtle

Hurtling means moving very quickly, usually downwards or through space.

When people talk about something hurtling through the air, they often mean it's going really fast, like an object being thrown from a great height. For example, if you see a meteor streaking across the sky on TV, the news might say that it was hurtling towards Earth at incredible speed. It can also describe a sense of chaos or disorder, like when everything seems to be falling apart all around you - your life is hurtling out of control. In these cases, the word usually implies a feeling of being overwhelmed or swept up in something big and uncontrollable.

How common is "hurtling"?

Word hurtling is considered rare in modern English.
It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.

Definitions

verb

To move rapidly, violently, or without control.
Example: Pieces of broken glass hurtled through the air.
To meet with violence or shock; to clash; to jostle.
To make a threatening sound, like the clash of arms; to make a sound as of confused clashing or confusion; to resound.
To hurl or fling; to throw hard or violently.
Example: He hurtled the wad of paper angrily at the trash can and missed by a mile.
To push; to jostle; to hurl.

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noun

The act of something being hurtled or thrown.

Real examples of "hurtling" in context

Why roller coaster loops aren't circular

Entertainment

And before you know it, you're hurtling down the track at 45 mph towards a thrilling 75-foot loop.

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