flier

noun

fli·​er ˈflī(-ə)r 

variants or less commonly flyer

1

: one that flies

She's a frequent flier on that airline.

specifically : airman

He was a flier on an aircraft carrier.

2

: a reckless or speculative venture

—usually used in the phrase take a flier

He took a flier in politics soon after getting his degree.

3

usually flyer : an advertising circular

Flyers announcing the concert were distributed throughout the city.

Synonyms of flier

• gamble
• chance
• venture
• throw

Examples of flier in a Sentence

These birds are graceful fliers.

They distributed flyers announcing the concert throughout the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tote fans can grab sleek picks such as the Mango Charm Detail Tote Bag, while frequent fliers will appreciate the Jeep JH004C Carry-on at 50 percent off. —Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2025

Size doesn’t always matter The researchers were able to pinpoint the specific neurological features that distinguished the fliers from their non-flying relatives. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025

Whether this is a seasonal bump, prompted by the government shutdown, or another post-Covid gain in new fliers is unclear. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2025

There are nine; some fliers do a club crawl, which involves finishing one drink at each Sky Club during a single layover. —Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flier

• frequent-flier
• take a flier

Rhymes for flier

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flyer
• friar
• frier

Kids Definition

flier

noun

fli·​er

variants also flyer

ˈflī(-ə)r

1

: one that flies

especially : pilot entry 1 sense 3

2

: an undertaking (as in business) that involves much risk

3

: an advertising circular