flighty

1 of 2

adjective

ˈflī-tē 

flightier; flightiest

1

: lacking stability or steadiness:

a

: easily upset : volatile

a flighty temper

b

: easily excited : skittish

a flighty horse

c

: capricious, silly

2

: swift

flightily

ˈflī-tə-lē 

adverb

flightiness

ˈflī-tē-nəs 

noun

flightiness

2 of 2

noun

flight·​i·​ness |ēnə̇s 

|in-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being flighty

the flightiness of her temper

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

Synonyms of flighty

Adjective

• excitable
• nervous

Examples of flighty in a Sentence

Adjective

an actress who specializes in playing silly, flighty women

you have to be quiet while the deer are grazing, as they are flighty animals and will run if they hear you

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Tova’s existence is about to be upended by the arrival of another flighty young man. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026

Your 5th House of Euphoria welcomes in the flighty Moon, which makes this a time for fun experimentation rather than tedious drudgery. —Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026

Nick and Jules’ sister Portia is a real trip, an alternately flighty and haughty mean girl played to devilishly effervescent perfection by Dickinson scene stealer Gus Birney. —Judy Berman, Time, 26 Mar. 2026

But wispy flighty sails cannot express devotion to a stone. —Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for flighty

• mighty
• nightie
• almighty
• aphrodite

Kids Definition

flighty

adjective

ˈflīt-ē 

flightier; flightiest

1

: easily excited : skittish

flighty horses

2

: silly sense 3, frivolous

flightily

ˈflīt-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

flightiness

ˈflīt-ē-nəs 

noun