swinging

English

Etymology 1

The sexual practice is so called after the custom in swing dancing of changing partners after each dance, unlike traditional ballroom dance styles where one has a single partner.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
• Rhymes: -ɪŋɪŋ

Noun

swinging (countable and uncountable, plural swingings)

1. The act or motion of that which swings.
   • 1973, Socialist Review (volume 8, page 331)

     Mr. Henderson's chief trouble seems to be that he cannot forget his old shiftiness of views and his pendulum-like swingings between Liberalism and Independent Labourism […]

2. An activity where couples engage in sexual activity with different partners.

Translations

sexual practice

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 交換配偶, 交换配偶 (jiāohuàn pèi'ǒu)

• Czech: grupensex m
• Finnish: parinvaihto (fi)
• French: échangisme (fr) m
• German: Swingen n
• Hungarian: svédszex, párcsere, swing (hu)
• Italian: scambismo m
• Japanese: スワッピング (suwappingu), スインギング (suingingu)
• Portuguese: swing (pt) m
• Russian: свинг (ru) m (sving), группово́й секс (ru) m (gruppovój sɛks)
• Spanish: intercambio de pareja m

Verb

swinging

1. present participle of swing

Adjective

swinging (comparative more swinging or swinginger, superlative most swinging or swingingest)

1. (informal) Fine, good, successful.

   The party was swinging.

2. Sexually promiscuous.
   • 2003 February 23, Bob Goldman, “Welcome To Splitsville”, in Florida Today‎^[1]:

     Hey, everyone fantasizes about what kind of swinging stud or studette they could be if they were only free from the shackles of domesticity.

Etymology 2

Adjective

swinging (comparative more swinging, superlative most swinging)

1. Alternative form of swingeing
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292:

     “It is an eating fever then,” says the landlady; “for he hath devoured two swinging buttered toasts this morning for breakfast.”