View synonyms for toss

toss

[ taws, tos ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

, tossed or (Literary) tost; toss·ing.

to throw, pitch, or fling, especially to throw lightly or carelessly:
to toss a piece of paper into the wastebasket.
to throw or send from one to another, as in play:
to toss a ball.
to throw or pitch with irregular or careless motions; fling or jerk about:
The ship was tossed by waves.
to agitate, disturb, or disquiet.
to throw, raise, or jerk upward suddenly:
She tossed her head disdainfully.
to speak or express in a sudden offhand manner; interject:
He tossed jokes into their serious discussion.
to throw (a coin) into the air in order to decide something by the side turned up when it falls (sometimes followed by up ).
to toss a coin with (someone).
to stir or mix (a salad) lightly until the ingredients are coated with the dressing.

verb (used without object)

, tossed or (Literary) tost; toss·ing.

to pitch, rock, sway, or move irregularly, as a ship on a rough sea or a flag or plumes in the breeze.
to fling or jerk oneself or move restlessly about, especially on a bed or couch:
to toss in one's sleep.
to throw something.
to throw a coin into the air in order to decide something by the way it falls (sometimes followed by up ).
to go with a fling of the body:
to toss out of a room in a fit of anger.

noun

an act or instance of tossing.
a pitching about or up and down.
a throw or pitch.
tossup ( def 1 ).
the distance to which something is or may be thrown.
a sudden fling or jerk of the body, especially a quick upward or backward movement of the head.

verb phrase

Informal. to vomit.
1. to accomplish quickly or easily.
2. to consume rapidly, especially to drink something up in one swallow:
  He tossed off a cocktail before dinner.
3. British Slang. to masturbate.

toss

/ tɒs /

verb

tr to throw lightly or with a flourish, esp with the palm of the hand upwards
to fling or be flung about, esp constantly or regularly in an agitated or violent way
a ship tosses in a storm
to discuss or put forward for discussion in an informal way
tr (of an animal such as a horse) to throw (its rider)
tr (of an animal) to butt with the head or the horns and throw into the air
the bull tossed the matador
tr to shake, agitate, or disturb
to toss up a coin with (someone) in order to decide or allot something
let's toss for it
I'll toss you for it
intr to move away angrily or impatiently
she tossed out of the room

noun

an abrupt movement
a rolling or pitching motion
the act or an instance of tossing
See toss up
the act of tossing up a coin See toss up
a fall from a horse or other animal
argue the toss
argue the toss to wrangle or dispute at length
give a toss slang.
give a toss to be concerned or interested (esp in the phrase not give a toss )

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Other Words From

tosser noun
tossing·ly adverb
un·tossed adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of toss¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain

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Word History and Origins

Origin of toss¹

C16: of Scandinavian origin; related to Norwegian, Swedish tossa to strew

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

toss one's cookies, Slang. cookie ( def 8 ).
toss one's hat in the ring. hat ( def 8 ).

More idioms and phrases containing toss

throw away (toss out)
throw (toss) one's hat in the ring

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Synonym Study

See throw.

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Example Sentences

On a single coin toss, the chances of getting heads or tails is one in two, but the chance of getting heads twice in a row is one in four.

From Fortune

Only a moment later, Mahomes zinged another 20-yard touchdown toss to Hill, giving him 261 yards on the day.

From Washington Post

He passed for more than 400 yards for the fourth time in his career, and one of his five touchdown passes was an underhanded toss to Travis Kelce.

From Washington Post

The center fielder booted a single, the cutoff man threw poorly toward home, the catcher whiffed a perfectly catchable toss and, just for unnecessary garnish, the losing pitcher forgot to back up home plate.

From Washington Post

In the South Bay, a coin toss decided a 2000 race for a spot the Otay Water District board.

From Voice of San Diego

The moment came where newly graduated cops customarily toss their white gloves into the air in celebration.

From The Daily Beast

Add olive oil to the pan and toss in the garlic and chili flake.

From The Daily Beast

Toss the string beans and mesclun with enough dressing to moisten.

From The Daily Beast

She was gambling on a coin toss where somehow “heads, you win” would have been politically more advantageous than “tails, I lose.”

From The Daily Beast

Toss in Republican National Committee head Reince Priebus and his Democratic counterpart, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, too.

From The Daily Beast

Then Squinty would toss the apple up in the air, off his nose, and catch it as it came down.

From Project Gutenberg

When he assails a calf, the cow will rush upon him, and one toss from her horns is sufficient to kill him.

From Project Gutenberg

Sues saucy, self-congratulatory toss of the head 14 stung her so that she could have cried out.

From Project Gutenberg

“I am sure they are going to use my idea,” Belle Ringold said, with a toss of her bobbed curls.

From Project Gutenberg

A pure toss up whether he pulls round or not; luckily he has a frame of iron.

From Project Gutenberg

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

to speak of tossed salad

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