flirts; flirted; flirting
1
: to behave in a way that shows a sexual attraction for someone but is not meant to be taken seriously
He likes to flirt.
They were flirting all night.
—usually + withHe flirts with every attractive woman he meets.
He was flirting with her.
They were flirting with each other.
2
: to think about something or become involved in something in a way that is usually not very serious
—+ with
She's been flirting [=toying] with the idea of going back to school.
He flirted with communism when he was young.
3
: to come close to reaching or experiencing something
—+ with
The temperature flirted with [=approached] 100 yesterday.
They were flirting with [=risking] death/disaster.
The company has been flirting with bankruptcy. [=the company has been close to going bankrupt]
plural flirts
: a person who enjoys flirting with other people : a flirtatious person
He admits that he's a terrible flirt. [=that he flirts a lot]
Cite this Entry
“Flirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/flirt. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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