flit

verb

ˈflit 

flitted; flitting

intransitive verb

1

: to pass quickly or abruptly from one place or condition to another

2

archaic : alter, shift

3

: to move in an erratic fluttering manner

flit noun

Synonyms

• dart
• flutter
• dance
• fly
• flick
• scurry

Examples of flit in a Sentence

butterflies flitting around the garden

The hummingbird flitted from flower to flower.

She was always flitting around the kitchen.

Recent Examples on the Web

Aronofsky has, since the grittiness of Pi and Requiem for a Dream, flitted with alacrity from genre to genre, trying his hand at biblical epics (Noah) and claustrophobic dramas (The Whale). —David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025

The episode’s first half feels like the work of a misguided pest, and Beto’s filmmaking, which flits between several different styles and cuts between multiple angles sometimes within the course of one interview segment, doesn’t help. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025

Butterflies flit, Civil Rights heroes loom larger than life, shapes and stripes bounce off brick. —Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025

The BirdWeather devices automatically register bird calls and use them to identify the species, mostly to let bird fans know what's flitting through their yards. —Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English flitten, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse flytjask to move, Old English flēotan to float

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flit

• do a moonlight flit

Rhymes for flit

• bit
• brit
• britt
• chit
• fit
• grit
• hit
• it
• kitt
• knit
• lit
• mitt

Kids Definition

flit

verb

ˈflit 

flitted; flitting

: to move or progress in a quick irregular manner

flit noun