flier

noun

fli·​er ˈflī(-ə)r 

variants or less commonly flyer

1

: one that flies

She's a frequent flier on that airline.

specifically : airman

He was a flier on an aircraft carrier.

2

: a reckless or speculative venture

—usually used in the phrase take a flier

He took a flier in politics soon after getting his degree.

3

usually flyer : an advertising circular

Flyers announcing the concert were distributed throughout the city.

Synonyms of flier

• gamble
• chance
• venture
• throw

Examples of flier in a Sentence

These birds are graceful fliers.

They distributed flyers announcing the concert throughout the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

And the pre-screen allows fliers to not have to remove belts, shoes or unload laptops and compliant liquids from luggage. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2026

Flash would rewire a street light to provide power for his turntables and speakers, and local kids—usually girls—passed out fliers and served as impromptu publicity teams. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Commander John Young made his fifth and final trip to space at age 50, with a heartbeat of 75 to 80 beats a minute, while first-time flier Bob Crippen, 43, had a heartbeat pulsed at 130 beats per minute. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

One Discord user posted a threat to hand out hundreds of fliers at the store’s physical Sonny Angel launch event later that morning, falsely claiming that owners supported ICE to discourage would-be shoppers. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flier

• frequent-flier
• take a flier

Rhymes for flier

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• ceasefire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer

Kids Definition

flier

noun

fli·​er

variants also flyer

ˈflī(-ə)r

1

: one that flies

especially : pilot entry 1 sense 3

2

: an undertaking (as in business) that involves much risk

3

: an advertising circular