swinging
/ˈswɪŋɪŋ/noun, adjective, verb
swinging is spelled S-W-I-N-G-I-N-G: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, swinging means “The act or motion of that which swings” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of swinging is swingings.
How many letters and syllables are in swinging?
| Letters | 8: S-W-I-N-G-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 6.2 times per million words; the 9,735th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is swinging?
Swinging appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce swinging?
- /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
Swinging has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-swinging.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of swinging
- swingings plural
- more swinging comparative
- swinginger comparative
- most swinging superlative
- swingingest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does swinging mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act or motion of that which swings.
- 2
An activity where couples engage in sexual activity with different partners, often in a group setting.
adjective
- 1
That swings
- 2
informalFine, good, successful.
- 3
Sexually promiscuous.
- 4
Alternative form of swingeing.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of swing
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Swinging in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense sexual practice:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | échangisme |
| German | Swingen |
| Portuguese | swing |
| Spanish | intercambio de pareja |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does swinging come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).