flowing

adjective

flow·​ing ˈflō-iŋ How to pronounce flowing (audio)
1
: moving smoothly and continuously in or as if in a stream
a flowing river
2
a
: smooth and graceful
flowing handwriting
b
: hanging loosely and gracefully
a flowing gown
her long, flowing tresses
flowingly adverb
a flowingly graceful gesture
As he talked along, softly, pleasantly, flowingly, he seemed to drift away imperceptibly out of this world and time … Mark Twain

Examples of flowing in a Sentence

a flowing silk scarf
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Automotive design had graduated from the still-carriage-like looks of its nascent days into its own form, with sweeping lines and heavy flowing sheetmetal that took full advantage of the effortless power of internal combustion. Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025 The two young academy graduates combined naturally, allowing for more flowing one-touch passing moves that cut teams apart. Art De Roché, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 The composition has many hallmarks of surrealism, including dream logic – the strange, flowing and often illogical progression of images reflecting the unpredictable nature of dreams – metamorphosis and psychic ambiguity. Sally Jane Brown, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025 Her crisp white, floor-length dress featured a boat neckline with a column skirt and subtle flowing elements to give the piece some movement. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025 In his music, one hears long, flowing melodies combined with darting harmonies and intricate polyrhythms. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2025 Underground shelters in space Lava tubes form when flowing lava solidifies on the surface while molten rock continues moving below. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025 The design seems to be based on the recent Himalayan 450, albeit with more flowing lines across the seat and faux fuel tank, a ridged motif across the top of the fuel tank and battery cover, and sculpted mainframe and subframe bits. Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 11 June 2025 While traversing steep mountain trails and navigating undulating bent grass greens at Cliffhangers, golfers will drive carts through cascading waterfalls, cross swift flowing creeks, and wind through a cave system. Erik Matuszewski, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flowing was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Flowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flowing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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