What does "fling" mean? When can I use this word?

Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
A "fling" is a romantic encounter that is meant to be casual and short-term, and usually is not something that meant to be serious or consider the future. For example, dating someone for a week can be considered a fling. Ex: I had a fling when I was travelling overseas. Ex: My friend prefers having short flings over serious relationships.