fly Meaning & Definition
What Does Fly Mean?
Fly is a verb that means to move in or pass through the air with wings. It is also used to mean to move through the air or before the wind or through outer space. As a noun, it means the action or process of flying. As a noun, it means a winged insect.
Fly: Key Facts
| Part of speech | verb, noun, adjective, geographical name |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈflī/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | flee, pilot and vanish |
| Antonyms | abide, dwell and hang around |
| Plural | flies |
| Comparative / superlative | flier, fliest |
| Verb forms | flies, flying, flew, flown |
Fly Definition (Verb)
- to move in or pass through the air with wings
bees flying around the hive
- to move through the air or before the wind or through outer space
bullets flying in all directions
- to float, wave, or soar in the air
flags flying at half-mast
- to take flight : flee
But when the Duke is slain they'll quickly fly.
- to fade and disappear : vanish
mists flying before the morning sun
- to move, pass, or spread quickly
rumors were flying
- to be moved with sudden extreme emotion
flew into a rage
- to seem to pass quickly
The time simply flew.
- to become expended or dissipated rapidly
Their lottery winnings flew.
- to operate or travel in an airplane or spacecraft
They flew to Florida for their vacation.
- to work successfully : win popular acceptance
… knew … a pure human-rights approach would not fly.
- to cause to fly, float, or hang in the air
flying a kite
- to operate (something, such as a balloon, aircraft, rocket, or spacecraft) in flight
- to journey over or through by flying
flew the Atlantic
- to flee or escape from
The bird had flown its cage.
- avoid, shun
fly such a talkative person
- to transport by aircraft or spacecraft
Supplies were flown to the disaster area.
Fly as a Noun
- the action or process of flying : flight
- a device consisting of two or more radial vanes capable of rotating on a spindle to act as a fan or to govern the speed of clockwork or very light machinery
- flywheel
- the space over a theater stage where scenery and equipment can be hung
- something attached by one edge: such as
- a garment closing concealed by a fold of cloth extending over the fastener
- the length of an extended flag from its staff or support
- the outer or loose end of a flag
- a baseball hit high into the air
- flyleaf
- a sheet of material (such as canvas) that is attachable to a tent for use as a double top or as a rooflike extension
- a football pass pattern in which the receiver runs straight downfield
Verb
- to hit a fly in baseball
Noun
- a winged insect
- any of a large order (Diptera) of winged or rarely wingless insects (such as the housefly, mosquito, or gnat) that have the anterior wings functional, the posterior wings reduced to halteres, and segmented often headless, eyeless, and legless larvae compare maggot
- a large stout-bodied fly
- a fishhook dressed (as with feathers or tinsel) to suggest an insect
Fly as an Adjective
- impressively good, attractive, or stylish
The singer was spotted out and about … looking fly as ever in an all-black hooded outfit. / … the Destiny's Child alum knew she was looking flyer than ever, stopping to pose for a few extra flirty photo opportunities as she arrived. / Mary J. [Blige] had a tough job following up on one of the flyest debut albums in the hip-hop nation.
- keen, artful
But Shakespeare never really fell foul of the secret police. He was too fly for that.
Fly as a Geographical Name
- river 650 miles (1046 kilometers) long in southern New Guinea flowing southeast into the Gulf of Papua
Synonyms of Fly
Antonyms of Fly
Fly in a Sentence
Birds of passage fly to warmer regions as it gets colder in winter.
The probe flew beyond the solar system.
The Concorde flew from Paris to New York faster than any other passenger airplane.
It takes about eleven hours to fly from Frankfurt to Hong Kong.
The little fairy flew home on the back of her friend, the giant eagle.
My airline needs me to get clearance before I can fly again.
If we want to fly today, we need to leave for the airport right now.
This species flies from late summer until frost.
Let's see if that idea flies.
You know, I just don't think that's going to fly. Why don't you spend your time on something better?
Charles Lindbergh flew his airplane The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic ocean.
Birds fly their prey to their nest to feed it to their young.
Each day the postal service flies thousands of letters around the globe.
We flew the kids out to see their grandparents.
This is the first time I flew the Pacific.
I'm hoping to fly the London-New York route so I can see the Big Apple again.
When the wind picked up, her hair flew back behind her head.
In her dance, she holds her hands above her head to fly those colorful ribbons in the air.
Why don’t you go outside and fly kites, kids? The wind is just perfect.
We flew the state flag under the national flag.
The flag flew at half-mast.
The American flag flies in every state and territory.
She's really letting the freak flag fly.
Only one candidate is willing to fly the conservative flag boldly.
The French flag flew over Louisiana until 1803.
The king endeavored to fly his nation's flag over new territories.
The family fortune flew in a few short years.
The mist flew by noon.
He flew down the hill on his bicycle.
It's five o'clock already. Doesn't time fly?
a door flies open
a bomb flies apart
His career is really flying at the moment.
One moment the company was flying high, the next it was on its knees.
I must fly the temptation of drink.
My bird flew the cage.
Fly, my lord! The enemy are upon us!
There was a good wind, so I decided to give the kite a fly.
Ha-ha! Your fly's undone!
your fly's undone/down
your flies are undone/down (same meaning)
Related terms: flyman
Jones flied to right in his last at-bat.
He's pretty fly.
The bullet barely grazed the wild fowl's fly.
Ha-ha! Your flies are undone!
a door flies open; a bomb flies apart
bees flying around the hive
bullets flying in all directions
flags flying at half-mast
But when the Duke is slain they'll quickly fly.
mists flying before the morning sun
rumors were flying
flew into a rage
The time simply flew.
Their lottery winnings flew.
They flew to Florida for their vacation.
… knew … a pure human-rights approach would not fly.
flying a kite
flew the Atlantic
The bird had flown its cage.
fly such a talkative person
Supplies were flown to the disaster area.
The singer was spotted out and about … looking fly as ever in an all-black hooded outfit.
… the Destiny's Child alum knew she was looking flyer than ever, stopping to pose for a few extra flirty photo opportunities as she arrived.
Mary J. [Blige] had a tough job following up on one of the flyest debut albums in the hip-hop nation.
But Shakespeare never really fell foul of the secret police. He was too fly for that.
the Wright brothers realized mankind's age-old wish to fly
you must fly to safety immediately
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
no one in the movies ever thinks to fly from the ax murderer and immediately call the police
the morning mist had flown, and a sparkling sea lay before us
the familiar Because I said so! is a reason that won't fly with most teenagers
The singer was spotted out and about … looking fly as ever in an all-black hooded outfit. / … the Destiny's Child alum knew she was looking flyer than ever, stopping to pose for a few extra flirty photo opportunities as she arrived. / Mary J. [Blige] had a tough job following up on one of the flyest debut albums in the hip-hop nation.
Word Forms & Grammar
flew
flown
fly·ing
flied
flies
fly
flying
fly·er
fly·est
flyer
flyest
look fly
looked fly
looking fly
looks fly
Fly
fly (plural flies)
fly (third-person singular simple present flies, present participle flying, simple past flew, past participle flown)
fly (plural flys or flies)
fly (third-person singular simple present flies, present participle flying, simple past and past participle flied or flyed)
fly (comparative flier or flyer, superlative fliest or flyest)
Words That Rhyme With Fly
Origin of Fly
Origin 1: Middle English flien, from Old English flēogan; akin to Old High German fliogan to fly and probably to Old English flōwan to flow
Origin 2: see fly:1
Origin 3: Middle English flie, from Old English flēoge; akin to Old High German flioga fly, Old English flēogan to fly
Origin 4: probably from fly:1
Origin 5: From Middle English fflye, flehe, flei, fleie, fley, fleye, fleȝe, flie, fliȝe, flye, vliȝe, vlye, from Old English flēge, flēoge, flīeġe (“a fly”), from Proto-West Germanic *fleugā, from Proto-Germanic *fleugǭ (“a fly”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to flow, fly, run; to splash”), enlargement of *plew- (“to flow, fly, run”).
Origin 6: From Middle English flei, fley, fleye, fleȝhenn, flien, fliȝe, flyen, flyyn, from Old English flēgan, flēogan, from Proto-West Germanic *fleugan, from Proto-Germanic *fleuganą (“to fly”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to flow, fly, run; to splash”), enlargement of *plew- (“to flow, fly, run”). Compare Etymology 1.
Origin 7: From Middle English flye (“flying, flight”), from Old English flyġe (“flying, flight”), from Proto-Germanic *flugiz.
Origin 8: Uncertain; probably from the verb or noun.
First Known Use
before 12th centuryi
before 12th century
1893
1664
How to Pronounce Fly
You say fly as /ˈflī/. It has 1 syllable.
Quick Answers About Fly
Is fly a verb or a noun?
Fly is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun, an adjective and a geographical name.
What is another word for fly?
Words with a similar meaning to fly include flee, pilot and vanish. See the full list of fly synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of fly?
Words opposite in meaning to fly are abide, dwell, hang around and linger.
What is the plural of fly?
The plural of fly is flies.
What is the past tense of fly?
The past tense of fly is flew and the past participle is flown. The present participle is flying.