toss: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Informal to neutral. Common in everyday speech and informal writing.
Quick answer
What does “toss” mean?
To throw something, especially something light or small, with a quick, light, and often careless or casual motion of the hand.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To throw something, especially something light or small, with a quick, light, and often careless or casual motion of the hand.
To cause something to move from side to side or up and down in a restless, agitated, or violent manner; to decide something by the random chance of a coin toss.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. In British English, 'toss up' is slightly more common as a phrasal verb for deciding by coin. In sports, a 'toss' in cricket refers to the coin flip to decide who bats first. In American football, the equivalent event is the 'coin toss'.
Connotations
Similar in both dialects. Can imply casualness, lack of concern, or randomness.
Frequency
Comparatively frequent in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “toss” in a Sentence
[Subject] + toss + [Object] (e.g., She tossed the ball).[Subject] + toss + [Object] + [Adverbial] (e.g., He tossed the keys onto the table).[Subject] + toss + [Indirect Object] + [Object] (e.g., Toss me the remote).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “toss” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We'll toss up to see who goes first.
- He tossed the newspaper onto the chair.
- I tossed and turned all night worrying.
American English
- Let's toss a coin to decide.
- She casually tossed her bag on the sofa.
- The boat was tossed by the huge waves.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard).
American English
- (Not standard).
adjective
British English
- (Not standard; used in compounds like 'toss-pot', archaic for drunkard).
American English
- (Not standard as a standalone adjective).
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. 'Let's toss some ideas around in the meeting.' (informal brainstorming).
Academic
Very rare in formal academic prose.
Everyday
Very common: tossing a ball, tossing a coin, tossing a salad, tossing in bed.
Technical
Specific use in cooking ('toss ingredients'), and in probability/statistics ('Bernoulli trial' is formal for a coin toss).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “toss”
- *He tossed me by the ball. (Incorrect preposition; should be 'He tossed me the ball' or 'He tossed the ball to me').
- Overusing 'toss' for any kind of throw; it implies a light, casual motion.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Toss' suggests a lighter, more casual, and often underhand motion. 'Throw' is more general and can be much more forceful.
Not literally for throwing a person (that would be 'hurl' or 'throw'). It can be used metaphorically: 'The crisis tossed the government into chaos.'
Yes, it's the standard cooking instruction meaning to mix salad ingredients gently, usually with dressing.
It's a British idiom meaning to dispute a decision that has already been made, often seen as pointless quarrelling.
To throw something, especially something light or small, with a quick, light, and often careless or casual motion of the hand.
Toss is usually informal to neutral. common in everyday speech and informal writing. in register.
Toss: in British English it is pronounced /tɒs/, and in American English it is pronounced /tɔːs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “argue the toss (UK)”
- “toss-up (a 50/50 chance)”
- “not give a toss (UK, vulgar)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TOSSing motion being quick and light, like TOSSing a pancake or a coin. The double 'S' can look like two objects being thrown.
Conceptual Metaphor
DECISIONS ARE GAMBLES / CHANCE EVENTS ('I'll toss you for it'). THOUGHTS ARE OBJECTS ('tossing ideas around').
Practice
Quiz
In the idiom 'a toss-up', what does it mean?