fleet

1 of 3

noun

1

: a number of warships under a single command

specifically : an organization of ships and aircraft under the command of a flag officer

2

: group sense 1

especially : a group (as of ships, planes, or trucks) operated under unified control

fleet

2 of 3

adjective

1

: swift in motion : nimble

2

: fleeting

fleetly adverb

fleetness noun

fleet

3 of 3

verb

ˈflēt 

fleeted; fleeting; fleets

intransitive verb

1

a

: to fade away : vanish

b

archaic : flow

2

[fleet entry 2] : to fly swiftly

clouds fleeting across the sky

3

obsolete : drift

transitive verb

: to cause (time) to pass usually quickly or imperceptibly

… many young gentlemen … fleet the time carelessly …

—William Shakespeare

Synonyms of fleet

Noun

• convoy
• armada
• caravan
• flotilla
• parade
• train

Adjective

• rapid
• brisk
• fast
• quick
• galloping
• swift
• flying

Choose the Right Synonym for fleet

fast, rapid, swift, fleet, quick, speedy, hasty, expeditious mean moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity.

fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves

fast horses

and rapid to the movement itself.

rapid current

swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment

speedy delivery of mail

and may also suggest unusual velocity.

hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

Examples of fleet in a Sentence

Noun

He was the commander of the Pacific fleet.

The company has a large fleet of delivery trucks.

Adjective

a jewel thief said to be light of heart and fleet of foot

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The current fleet of boats dates from 1910 to 1992. —Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026

One standout on this group of aircrafts is the new suites with privacy doors, a first for the fleet. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 13 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Musk has indicated the company may look to boost fleet sales to commercial customers in response to questions about Cybertruck’s murky prospects. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026

The plan calls for up to 550 units, with steady monthly output to sustain fleet readiness. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026

Verb

The dogged short-term downtrend means that even a quick 4% relief rally — which could come at any time on the strength of a social media post or fleeting downtick in energy prices — wouldn’t turn the tide convincingly. —Michael Santoli, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026

Until that moment fleeted away. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English flete, from Old English flēot ship, from flēotan

Adjective

probably from fleet entry 3

Verb

Middle English fleten, from Old English flēotan; akin to Old High German fliozzan to float, Old English flōwan to flow

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Phrases Containing fleet

• admiral of the fleet
• fleet admiral
• fleet-footed
• fleet of foot

Rhymes for fleet

• beat
• beet
• bleat
• cheat
• cleat
• creat
• deet
• eat
• feat
• feet
• greet
• heat

Kids Definition

fleet

1 of 2 noun

ˈflēt 

1

: a group of warships under one command

2

: a group of ships or vehicles that move together or are under one management

a fleet of taxis

a fishing fleet

fleet

2 of 2 adjective

: very swift

fleet of foot

fleetly adverb

fleetness noun