flirt

verb \ ˈflərt \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: flirt in a Sentence

Definition of flirt

flirted; flirting; flirts

intransitive verb

1 : to move erratically : flit

butterflies flirting among the flowers

2 a : 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

—

flirtation

play \ˌflər-ˈtā-shən\ noun

—

flirter

noun

—

flirty

play \ˈflər-tē\ adjective

See flirt defined for English-language learners

See flirt defined for kids

Examples of flirt in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of flirt from the Web

And Kirjola and Battista are particularly entertaining as Kirjola plays the nerdy bookworm trying to flirt with the attractive actress.

— mitchel benson, sacbee, "‘Thanksgiving Play’ gone off the rails? That’s the genius in Capital Stage's comedy," 5 July 2018
Yet the number of homes listed for sale is flirting with historic lows.

— CBS News, "Why the robust economy doesn't reflect the reality for many Americans," 16 June 2018
As anyone who has tried to flirt with someone over social media knows, comments and tagging are the kindling to igniting the fire of any modern relationship.

— sarah midkiff, refinery29.com, "Pete Davidson & Ariana Grande Made It Official With...Tattoos," 2 June 2018
The massacre also moved Trump to flirt with stricter gun measures in defiance of NRA priorities, such as raising the legal age to purchase AR-15s and similar types of rifles to 21 and expanding background checks to guns sold at shows and online.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Trump addresses NRA members for first time since Parkland massacre," 4 May 2018
After that, Vallas ran school districts in Philadelphia, Louisiana and Bridgeport, Conn., while also briefly flirting with a Republican run for Cook County Board president and working on education reform in Haiti following a devastating earthquake.

— bill ruthhart, chicagotribune.com, "Vallas: Chicago ‘in big trouble’ under Emanuel’s ‘politically expedient’ City Hall approach," 1 May 2018
Tuberville briefly flirted with jumping into the governor's race last year - even loaning his campaign $100,000 in March 2017.

— paul gattis, AL.com, "Tommy Tuberville backing Tommy Battle in governor's race," 27 Mar. 2018
Portland is expected to flirt with the 60-degree mark Wednesday and Thursday, as the Weather Service expects highs near 58 and 59 degrees at the airport.

— jim ryan, OregonLive.com, "Portland metro Monday weather: On heels of record high, expect temps in the 50s," 5 Feb. 2018
The bagger, a bright old man who had always loved to flirt with the woman, said, Long time no see!

— lauren groff, The New Yorker, "Under the Wave," 9 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of flirt

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1580

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

flirt Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Near Antonyms

float, hang, hover;

scamper, scud, scurry, scuttle, skip, skitter;

meander, ramble, roam, wander;

Synonym Discussion of flirt

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

flirt

noun

Definition of flirt

1 : an act or instance of flirting

2 : a person who flirts

See flirt defined for English-language learners

Examples of flirt in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of flirt from the Web

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
Or even just a flirty-flirt that has one sour note in it.

— katie kilkenny, Billboard, "Barry Diller Weighs in on #MeToo Movement: 'All Men Are Guilty'," 24 Mar. 2018
Or even just a flirty-flirt that has one sour note in it.

— katie kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, "Barry Diller Weighs in on #MeToo Movement: "All Men Are Guilty"," 24 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of flirt

see ¹flirt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1590

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

FLIRT Defined for English Language Learners

flirt

verb

Definition of flirt for English Language Learners

: to behave in a way that shows a sexual attraction for someone but is not meant to be taken seriously
: to think about something or become involved in something in a way that is usually not very serious
: to come close to reaching or experiencing something