Lobbed

To 'lob' something, and therefore 'lobbed' describes the act of throwing or hitting an object in a high, slow arc, often with a gentle underhand motion. This action is typically intended to deliver the object over a short to medium distance, allowing it to drop down at its destination. It can be used in various sports, like tennis or baseball, but can be used to describe a wide variety of objects being thrown slowly, or with a wide arc. The key aspect is the characteristic high trajectory and lack of force relative to an all out throw.

Lobbed meaning with examples

• The outfielder lobbed the ball back to the infield after catching the pop fly. His throw had the perfect arc to reach the second baseman on the fly, and was not thrown hard at all. The crowd applauded as the runner was tagged out at second.
• She lobbed the tennis ball over the net, hoping to catch her opponent off guard with the high, slow shot. Her opponent returned it with a powerful smash, winning the point, but the slow, lobbed ball had surprised her.
• He carefully lobbed the water balloon over the fence, aiming for his unsuspecting friend. The balloon splattered on impact, resulting in a wave of laughter. The technique had worked perfectly.
• The soldiers lobbed grenades over the trenches during the battle. The high arc of the grenade's flight was necessary to clear the defensive structures. A few hit and exploded while others fell into the no-man's land.