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

coquet (or coquette), dally, frivol, mess around, toy, trifle

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

The episode opens with Danny (Anthony Mackie) flirting with a woman at a nightclub. — Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, "Black Mirror, Season 5, Episode 1 Recap: "Striking Vipers"," 6 June 2019 Although some locations in South San Jose could flirt with 90 degrees, the city is not officially expected to be that hot, according to the weather service. — Mark Gomez, The Mercury News, "Bay Area forecast: Tuesday expected to be the ‘hottest day so far’ this year," 4 June 2019 Some blondes flirt dangerously close to dynamic brunette; others are a mere whisper from auburn. — Allure, "The Best Blonde Hair Color Ideas for Every Skin Tone," 25 Mar. 2019 Then there’s China: Musk and Tesla signed a lease to build the third Gigafactory just outside of Shanghai in the summer of 2018, after years of flirting with the idea. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "Tesla will live and die by the Gigafactory," 30 Nov. 2018 Early on, Iceage was accused of flirting with Nazi imagery and appropriating aesthetics of fascism. — Jessi Roti, chicagotribune.com, "A grander, less thrashy Iceage still lets the music speak for itself," 19 June 2018 After a few whirlwind weeks of flirting all over each other's Instagram accounts, getting matching tattoos, and cosplaying in Harry Potter gear together, Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande show no signs of taking their PDA down a notch. — Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, "Pete Davidson Reportedly Talked About Ariana Grande During a Comedy Show," 8 June 2018 And when his publicist went on television after last week’s verdict and compared Mr. Cosby to Emmett Till, the black teen who was murdered and disfigured in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of flirting with a white woman, people cringed. — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, "Bill Cosby Couldn’t Pull the Race Card—Unlike O.J. Simpson," 1 May 2018 One night in 2013, Grant teasingly accused Patrice of flirting with another friend. — Philly.com, "Philadelphia weddings: Patrice O'Riordan and Grant Stringham," 4 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

With its relaxed bearing and easy tunefulness, Mr. Tyler’s album flirts with music that is devoid of tension and too pretty—in the 1980s, a less discerning record clerk might have filed this one in the New Age section. — Mark Richardson, WSJ, "‘Goes West’ by William Tyler Review: Music History in Modern Melody," 23 Jan. 2019 Many in Italy, where Fiat and the Agnelli family are loathed and loved, interpreted the GM flirt as a first step to the family abandoning FCA. — Eric Sylvers, WSJ, "Sergio Marchionne’s Death Thrusts Agnelli Heir Into Spotlight," 25 July 2018 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

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.