How to Say “Toss” in Spanish

Ways to say it

The verb refers to the action of throwing something with an initial upward direction. When you want to express the specific English idiom 'to toss in the trash', use the phrase tirar a la basura. For the noun form of a toss involving a ball, you can use tiro, lanzamiento or tirada. When describing a coin toss used to make a decision, the nouns lanzamiento, volado or sorteo are used.

Which one should you use?

While lanzar is the standard term for a deliberate throw, tirar is the most common way to say 'toss' in everyday, informal speech. Arrojar is a more formal or literary synonym for lanzar and is often used in descriptive narratives or when describing throwing something with force.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

Arrojar is a formal way to say 'toss'.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Mexico and parts of Central America, aventar is frequently used colloquially to mean 'to toss' or 'to throw'.

Related words

Throw, a lob, of a ball (noun): tiro, lanzamiento, tirada.

Toss of a coin before a match (noun): lanzamiento, volado, sorteo.

How do you pronounce it?

/lanˈθaɾ/

When do people say it?

When specifically referring to the act of tossing a coin to make a decision, un volado is a common term used in many Spanish-speaking regions.