hinge

hinge

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Pronunciation

/hɪndʒ/

• h: /h/

• i: /ɪ/

• n: /n/

• ge: /dʒ/

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Word Form Variations

• Noun (singular): hinge

• Noun (plural): hinges

• Verb (base): hinge

• Verb (third-person singular): hinges

• Verb (past tense/past participle): hinged

• Verb (present participle): hinging

• Adjective (derived): hinged, unhinged

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

1. A mechanical joint that connects two objects, such as a door and its frame, allowing one to swing or pivot relative to the other.

• Synonyms: joint, pivot, swivel, articulation

• Antonyms: (for the function) blockage, seal, fixture

2. A central point, principle, or event upon which other things depend or turn.

• Synonyms: crux, pivot, keystone, focal point, basis

• Antonyms: periphery, side-issue, trivia

Verb

1. (transitive) To attach or fit an object (like a lid or gate) with a hinge.

• Synonyms: join, affix, connect

• Antonyms: detach, remove, unfasten

2. (intransitive) To depend entirely on; to be determined by a single factor (used with on or upon).

• Synonyms: depend, rest, turn, pivot, rely

• Antonyms: be independent of, disregard

Adjective (Hinged)

1. Fitted with or operating on a hinge.

• Synonyms: jointed, articulated

• Antonyms: fixed, rigid, solid

Adjective (Unhinged)

1. Literally, having been removed from its hinges or having broken hinges.

• Synonyms: detached, loose, broken

• Antonyms: secure, fastened, hinged

2. Figuratively, mentally or emotionally unstable; deranged or wildly erratic.

• Synonyms: unstable, erratic, manic, deranged

• Antonyms: stable, sane, balanced, calm

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Examples of Use

📚 In Books

• Unhinged (Noun/Title): In the political memoir Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House, the author uses the title to figuratively describe an administration she alleges was mentally and functionally unstable. (Omarosa Manigault Newman, August 2018)

• Hinge (Noun, literal): "She opens what is closed, and closes what is opened. These are the words the classical writer Ovid uses to describe Carna, the Roman goddess of the door-hinge..." (From Architecture, Society, and Ritual in Viking Age Scandinavia)

📰 In Newspapers and Online Publications

• Hinges on (Verb, figurative): "Medicaid for Millions in America Hinges on Deloitte-Run Systems Plagued by Errors" (KFF Health News, June 2024)

• Hinged (Adjective, literal): "A foam hinged lid container makes certain that your food will stay safe during transport, eliminating concerns about leakage and spillage." (Midwest Youth Championships, November 2025)

• Hinging (Verb, figurative): "The US economy remains strong with robust consumer spending and high business investment, but its future trajectory largely hinges on the policies of the incoming administration." (Deloitte Insights, Q3 2024)

🎬 In Entertainment and Media

• Unhinged (Adjective, figurative): In a movie review for the 2020 film Unhinged, a critic describes Russell Crowe's character as "a cartoon-level psychopath" and the film itself as a "vaguely unpleasant road rage thriller." (FictionMachine, January 2022)

• Unhinged (Adjective, figurative): "Smug. Narcissistic. Vaguely unhinged." — In a review for the novel If You Love It, Let It Kill You, this quote is used to describe how the protagonist's ex-husband portrayed her in his own book. (Chapter 16, September 2025)

🗣️ In General Public Discourse

• Hinge (Noun, figurative): This term is often used in political and historical analysis to describe a "hinge point" or "hinge of history," meaning a moment of crisis or decision upon which the future pivots.

• Unhinged (Adjective, figurative): In common online discourse, particularly on social media platforms, the word is frequently used as slang to describe a person, comment, or piece of media that is seen as extremely chaotic, bizarre, or disconnected from reality.

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10 Famous Quotes Using Hinge

1. "Small hinges swing big doors." (W. Clement Stone)

2. "On a small hinge, turn great gates." (Thomas Fuller)

3. "The whole hinge of the campaign is in my hand." (George Washington)

4. "Creaking hinges hang the longest." (Proverb)

5. "This is the hinge of the matter." (William Jennings Bryan)

6. "Love is the hinge of moral problems." (Augustus Hopkins Strong)

7. "The hinge of the whole Bible is the Resurrection." (J. Gresham Machen)

8. "Friendship is the hinges of the WOrld." (Owen Feltham)

9. "The hinges of the gates of the day are taken off." (John Donne)

10. "The hinge of the matter is the man's suspicion..." (Robert Louis Stevenson)

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Etymology

In simple terms, the word hinge comes directly from the word hang.

Its origin traces back to Middle English around the 1300s, where you might see it as henge. This word is closely related to the verb hengen (an old form of "to hang").

The first known use of "hinge" was as a noun. Its original meaning was literal and practical: it was the device that allowed a door or gate to hang from its frame and swing.

The idea of "hinging on" (meaning "to depend on") came much later. This is a metaphor: just as a heavy door's ability to move depends entirely on that small joint, a major decision might depend entirely on one small, crucial fact.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Hinge

Here is a list of phrases and idioms using the word "hinge" or relating to its central meaning.

• To hinge on / To hinge upon

• Off the hinges

• (To be) unhinged

• A hinge point

• The hinge of history

• Small hinges swing big doors (Proverb)

• To pivot on

• To turn on (as in, "the decision turns on this point")

• The crux of the matter

• To rest on

• To fly off the handle (related to "unhinged")

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of hinge from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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