flirt

verb

\ˈflərt

flirted; flirting; flirts

Definition of flirt

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to move erratically : flit butterflies flirting among the flowers

2a : to behave amorously without serious intent He flirts with every attractive woman he meets.

b : to show superficial or casual interest or liking flirted with the idea also : experiment a novelist flirting with poetry

3 : to come close to reaching or experiencing something —used with with flirting with disaster

transitive verb

1 : flick They flirt water at each other's faces.

2 : to move in a jerky manner a bird flirting its tail

flirt

noun

Definition of flirt (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act or instance of flirting

2 : a person who flirts

Other Words from flirt Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about flirt

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Other Words from flirt

Verb

flirtation \ ˌflər-ˈtā-shən

\ noun

flirter noun

flirty \ ˈflər-tē

\ adjective

Synonyms for flirt

Synonyms: Verb

dance, dart, flick, flicker, flit, flitter, flutter, zip

Synonyms: Noun

flirter, wanton

Choose the Right Synonym for flirt

Verb

trifle, toy, dally, flirt, coquet mean to deal with or act toward without serious purpose. trifle may imply playfulness, unconcern, indulgent contempt. to trifle with a lover's feelings toy implies acting without full attention or serious exertion of one's powers. a political novice toying with great issues dally suggests indulging in thoughts or plans merely as an amusement. dallying with the idea of building a boat someday flirt implies an interest or attention that soon passes to another object. flirted with one fashionable ism after another coquet implies attracting interest or admiration without serious intention. companies that coquet with environmentalism solely for public relations

Examples of flirt in a Sentence

Verb

They were flirting all night. the servers at that restaurant flirt with all the customers

Noun

he's just a harmless flirt, so don't take him seriously

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

After a reported split with G-Eazy, many people have since speculated that Halsey is flirting it up with musician John Mayer, and that the two might be potentially dating or hooking up. — Elly Belle, Teen Vogue, "Halsey Talked About Friendship in the Face of John Mayer Dating Rumors," 8 Nov. 2018 Much of the focus now is on Lake Mead, which is responsible for about 40 percent of Arizona's water use and continues to flirt with shortage. — Joshua Bowling, azcentral, "As the Arizona drought persists, Phoenix's water use continues to drop," 12 July 2018 Slovakia last week became the latest Eastern European country to flirt with the idea of moving its embassy, when lawmakers announced the country would open a cultural center in Jerusalem. — Andrew O'reilly, Fox News, "More countries following Trump in moving Israel embassy to Jerusalem," 9 July 2018 On a team with starting rotation that is flirting with immortality and a lineup among baseball’s best, leaky relief has been a problem. — San Antonio Express-News, "Whitley picks up where he left off," 8 June 2018 Miami’s decision-makers flirted with taking that journey, but didn’t take a young quarterback during the 2018 NFL draft. — Omar Kelly, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Kelly: A verdict on Ryan Tannehill is overdue | Commentary," 26 June 2018 In recent years, India, Ethiopia, Iraq and Uzbekistan have also shut down the internet to stop online questions and answers leaks, and Egyptian lawmakers flirted with the idea in 2016. — Nour Youssef, New York Times, "Algeria’s Answer to Cheating on School Exams: Turn Off the Internet," 21 June 2018 Three times, the pair flirted with taking each other out, even kissing wheels on one occasion. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Dear Team: We’re Sorry We Crashed Our $15 Million F1 Cars," 1 May 2018 And investors are far from the only Americans flirting with a panic attack this morning. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Cheers on Trade War With China As Stocks Tumble," 4 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

As the light fades, the ambient temperature flirts with freezing. — Daniel Otis, Sunset, "Awe-Inspiring Canadian Rockies Camping Adventure," 22 Jan. 2018 Personals, while ostensibly functioning as a way to meet future partners, also works as a support network where people show up simply to encourage people's posts and trade flirts. — Angela Watercutter, WIRED, "Could a Text-Based Dating App Change Selfie-Swiping Culture?," 10 July 2018 In one scene, Diego courts Luciana (Lola Dueñas), a flirt in a preposterous wig worthy of Marie Antoinette. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, "Review: In ‘Zama,’ Trying to Say Goodbye (Cruel) New World," 12 Apr. 2018 Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' Instagram flirt-fest continues. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Priyanka Chopra Can't Stop Leaving Flirty Comments on Nick Jonas' Instagram and We Are Here For It," 7 June 2018 From beloved internet celebs (like Chrissy Tiegen, coming in at 19) and bears (in both 20th and 8th place), there are plenty of options for getting your flirt on. — Marshall Bright, refinery29.com, "The 20 GIFs Most Likely To Get You A Response On Tinder," 15 Mar. 2018 Since 2009, New York City’s annual bus ridership has plunged by almost 11 percent, even as the city’s population booms and its overcrowded subway flirts with collapse. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, "NYC Is Redesigning Its Ancient, Ponderous, and Unpopular Bus System," 24 Apr. 2018 Flown flirts with trying to pull off too many ideas, but the ride-the-lightning guitar talents of Corey Standifer and crackerjack drumming of Jacob Kozlowski are undeniable. — David Lindquist, Indianapolis Star, "Record Store Day acts set off musical fireworks at Indianapolis shops," 22 Apr. 2018 Torres is a flirt, and something of a sucker for a good accent, and flirts with Giles throughout the second episode. — Michaela Bechler, Vogue, "Netflix Announces Another Season of Nailed It!—Here’s Why You Should Binge-Watch the First," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flirt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.