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

Every Major League Baseball teams takes a few fliers on fringy veterans at this time of year, and the Chicago Cubs found themselves some utility depth on Tuesday. —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

For the best in luggage, look no further than in the hands of the world’s most frequent fliers—flight attendants. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025

Size doesn’t always matter The researchers were able to pinpoint the specific neurological features that distinguished the fliers from their non-flying relatives. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025

Whether this is a seasonal bump, prompted by the government shutdown, or another post-Covid gain in new fliers is unclear. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2025

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

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flyer
• friar
• frier

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