- present participle of flow.
flowing
Americanadjective
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moving in or as in a stream.
flowing water.
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proceeding smoothly or easily; facile.
flowing language.
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long, smooth, graceful, and without sudden interruption or change of direction.
flowing lines; flowing gestures.
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hanging loosely at full length.
flowing hair.
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abounding; having in excess.
a land flowing with milk and honey.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of flowing
before 950; Middle English flowynge, Old English flōwende. See flow, -ing 2
Explanation
Anything flowing moves like liquid, such as the flowing water of a river or someone’s long, flowing hair. Even a conversation can be flowing if people have a lot to say to each other. The adjective flowing is useful for describing things that drape gracefully, like Rapunzel's flowing hair or Cinderella's flowing gown. The sleek and streamlined movements of a ballet dancer might also be called flowing, and so can particularly graceful writing: "The poet's flowing lines beautifully evoked a summer afternoon." Flowing comes from flow, from a root meaning "to stream, melt, or become liquid."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Several major rivers flowing through these countries originate on the Tibetan Plateau.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
The horses of the Griffith Park merry-go-round are known for their flowing manes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Viscosity describes how strongly a fluid resists flowing.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Some analysts said that the refineries would be virtually impossible to bring back into production quickly and that it could take months to get crude oil flowing to them again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
As she reads, her words feel as if they’re swirling round us all, flowing through our small group and out on the wind.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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