fly

1 of 5

verb (1)

flew ˈflü How to pronounce fly (audio) ; flown ˈflōn How to pronounce fly (audio) ; flying

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move in or pass through the air with wings
bees flying around the hive
b
: to move through the air or before the wind or through outer space
bullets flying in all directions
c
: to float, wave, or soar in the air
flags flying at half-mast
2
a
: to take flight : flee
was forced to fly for his life when his enemies came into power
b
: to fade and disappear : vanish
mists flying before the morning sun
3
a
: to move, pass, or spread quickly
rumors were flying
b
: to be moved with sudden extreme emotion
flew into a rage
c
: to seem to pass quickly
the time simply flew
4
: to become expended or dissipated rapidly
After he became established in the town, his inheritance flew.
5
: to operate or travel in an airplane or spacecraft
They flew to Florida for their vacation.
6
: to work successfully : win popular acceptance
knew … a pure human-rights approach would not flyCharles Brydon

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to fly, float, or hang in the air
flying a kite
b
: to operate (something, such as a balloon, aircraft, rocket, or spacecraft) in flight
c
: to journey over or through by flying
flew the Atlantic
2
a
: to flee or escape from
The bird had flown its cage.
b
: avoid, shun
fly such a talkative woman
3
: to transport by aircraft or spacecraft
Supplies were flown to the disaster area.

fly

2 of 5

noun (1)

plural flies
1
: the action or process of flying : flight
2
a
: a device consisting of two or more radial vanes capable of rotating on a spindle to act as a fan or to govern the speed of clockwork or very light machinery
b
3
flies plural : the space over a theater stage where scenery and equipment can be hung
4
: something attached by one edge: such as
a
: a garment closing concealed by a fold of cloth extending over the fastener
b(1)
: the length of an extended flag from its staff or support
(2)
: the outer or loose end of a flag
5
: a baseball hit high into the air
6
7
: a sheet of material (such as canvas) that is attachable to a tent for use as a double top or as a rooflike extension
8
: a football pass pattern in which the receiver runs straight downfield

fly

3 of 5

verb (2)

flied; flying

intransitive verb

: to hit a fly in baseball

fly

4 of 5

noun (2)

plural flies
1
: a winged insect
usually used in combination
mayfliesbutterfly
2
a
: any of a large order (Diptera) of winged or rarely wingless insects (such as the housefly, mosquito, or gnat) that have the anterior wings functional, the posterior wings reduced to halteres, and segmented often headless, eyeless, and legless larvae compare maggot
b
: a large stout-bodied fly
3
: a fishhook dressed (as with feathers or tinsel) to suggest an insect

fly

5 of 5

adjective

chiefly British
Phrases
fly at
: to assail suddenly and violently
He flew at me in a rage.
fly blind
: to fly an airplane solely by instruments
fly high
: to be elated
She was flying high after winning the contest.
fly in the face of or fly in the teeth of
: to stand or act forthrightly or brazenly in defiance or contradiction of
His explanation flies in the face of the evidence.
on the fly
1
: in motion : busy
2
: while still in the air : without the ball bouncing
the home run carried 450 feet on the fly
3
: in a hurry and often without preparation : hastily, spontaneously
making decisions on the fly
4
: simultaneously with another task
software that handles formatting on the fly
fly in the ointment
: a detracting factor or element

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Riyadh Air, which will be based in the capital, aims to fly to 100 destinations by 2030, according to state-run media. Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2023 Is the plane going to be able to continue to fly and land? Jennifer Korn, CNN, 12 Mar. 2023 Kikina was the first Roscosmos passenger to fly on a Commercial Crew Program flight. Richard Tribou Orlando Sentinel (tns), al, 12 Mar. 2023 The internal report obtained by The Times shows that the Qatari government paid for Mr. Visentini to fly there in October. Sarah Hurtes, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2023 The three Americans and one Canadian chosen to fly to the moon, but not land on it, will be revealed on April 3, Nelson said. Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2023 At the Oscars, actresses (or their stylists) pull out all the stops: the most over-the-top runway gowns, the most glamorous one-off dresses—this is their one moment to fly close to the sun, to become a pop culture moment. Laia Garcia-furtado, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2023 Hogwarts Flying Class Who could forget the place where Harry first learned how to fly in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? Lauren Smith Mcdonough, House Beautiful, 9 Mar. 2023 My Dad is a doctor, and always had an appetite to learn how to fly but due to being colourblind, this could never become a reality. Rachel Ingram, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023
Noun
For Heba Thorisdottir, the head of the makeup department, pulling it off in a way that was minimally invasive for Robbie required careful planning and on-the-fly precision. Gabe Cohn, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2023 As kids, most of us learned how to play an on-the-fly version of chicken: two players are on a collision course that can be avoided only if one of the parties swerves. Philip Elliott, Time, 17 Jan. 2023 In the case of a generative AI app, the essay is generated on-the-fly and though based on prior info is generally a fresh new essay. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023 Things proceeded so swimmingly, in fact, that as the mission progressed, managers felt confident enough to conduct additional, on-the-fly tests of the spacecraft’s capability. Nadia Drake, Scientific American, 11 Dec. 2022 Staffers claim the hours were brutal – 12-to-15-hour days were the norm – all while navigating West’s eccentricities and on-the-fly demands, such as packing up an entire office on one day’s notice only to move again the next day. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2022 That resulted in a shuffling of Auburn’s remaining staff, and an on-the-fly week of preparation as Will Friend and Ike Hilliard assumed co-offensive coordinator duties while splitting play-calling on the field Saturday. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 6 Nov. 2022 Easy on-the-fly operation, quiet and weathertight when top is raised, the usual great C8 combination of performance and everyday drivability. Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 11 Oct. 2022 Campbell also thought the Patriots built a nice on-the-fly game plan for Zappe, once he was thrust into action in Green Bay. Jim Mcbride, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English flien, from Old English flēogan; akin to Old High German fliogan to fly and probably to Old English flōwan to flow

Noun (2)

Middle English flie, from Old English flēoge; akin to Old High German flioga fly, Old English flēogan to fly

Adjective

probably from fly entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

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

Noun (1)

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

Verb (2)

1893, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

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

Adjective

1811, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near fly

Cite this Entry

“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fly. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

fly

1 of 4 verb
flew ˈflü How to pronounce fly (audio) ; flown ˈflōn How to pronounce fly (audio) ; flying
1
a
: to move in or pass through the air with wings
b
: to move through the air or with the wind
also : to move through outer space
c
: to float or cause to float, wave, or soar in the air
flags flying
fly a kite
2
: to take flight : flee
3
: to move or pass swiftly
time flies
4
a
: to operate or travel in an aircraft or spacecraft
b
: to journey over or through by flying
fly the Atlantic
c
: to transport by aircraft or spacecraft

fly

2 of 4 noun
plural flies
1
a
: a garment closing concealed by a fold of cloth
b
: the outer fabric of a tent with a double top
c
: the length of an extended flag
also : the loose end of a flag
2
: a baseball hit high into the air

fly

3 of 4 verb
flied; flying
: to hit a fly in baseball

fly

4 of 4 noun
plural flies
1
: a winged insect
2
: two-winged fly
especially : one (as a housefly) that is large and has a stout body in comparison with others (as a mosquito)
3
: a fishhook covered to look like an insect

Medical Definition

fly

noun
plural flies
1
: a winged insect
usually used in combination
emerging mayflies
a large butterfly
2
a
: any dipteran fly

called also true fly, two-winged fly

b
: a large and stout-bodied dipteran fly (as a horsefly)

Geographical Definition

Fly

geographical name

river 650 miles (1046 kilometers) long in southern New Guinea flowing southeast into the Gulf of Papua

More from Merriam-Webster on fly

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