fart
Americannoun
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farts
plural
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a release of intestinal gas through the anus; a flatus.
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an irritating or foolish person.
verb (used without object)
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farts,
present (3rd person singular)
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farted,
past participle, past
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farting
present participle
verb phrase
noun
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an emission of intestinal gas from the anus, esp an audible one
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a contemptible person
verb
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to expel intestinal gas from the anus; to break wind
-
-
to behave foolishly or aimlessly
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to waste time
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Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fartsimple
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fartssimple
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have fartedperfect
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has fartedperfect
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am fartingprogressive
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are fartingprogressive
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is fartingprogressive
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have been fartingperfect progressive
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has been fartingperfect progressive
Past
-
fartedsimple
-
had fartedperfect
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was fartingprogressive
-
were fartingprogressive
-
had been fartingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fart
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ferten, farten (verb), fert, fart (noun); cognate with Greek pérdein (verb), pordḗ (noun)
Explanation
We don’t all like to admit it, but we all fart. That is, we all pass smelly gas out of our anus. Kids — and a few adults too — find farting funny. If someone lets out a long fart during church or class, someone is bound to laugh. However, the teacher probably won’t laugh, and the culprit could be in big trouble. Be careful about accusing others of farting, because one of the oldest rules of the schoolyard is “He who smelt it, dealt it.” A less slangy word for fart is flatulence.
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.
See Examples For:
Man, I swear to God, we shot that 15 years ago, and literally I do a fart noise, and I say, “How long have you been with her?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Did he just have a brain fart and forget that Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the primary?
From Slate ● May 30, 2026
“There are people who are like, ‘I fart constantly, I will break your sensor, please let me be in your study,’” says Hall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
But do you know how when you fart, it always sounds like a question mark.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
She also had a quirky sense of humor and loved to clown around; I remember her cracking up at fart jokes during dinner.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
"Critically acclaimed thespian Celia Imrie farts like the rest of us folks," noted showbiz reporter Catrina Rose.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2025
And because they're constantly told their wealth means they're smarter than everyone else, they start to enjoy the smell of their own farts.
From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2024
They sleep in the same bed and complain about each other’s farts.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2024
“And then Adrienne flipped to the next screen and it was an older woman with no teeth who’s singing into a microphone and then farts into it,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2024
I've seen him the last couple of days, skulking around, flinching at his own farts.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
Host Greg Davies also said he hoped Celia Imrie wasn't feeling too relaxed, not sparing her blushes as he reminded her of the moment when she accidentally farted during filming, a moment which went viral.
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
“I have never farted once on this show. As a matter of fact, I barely fart,” she told viewers.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 17, 2022
When Otilia Marquez drives through Carson with her mom and little sister, the air stinks so much that one of them always jokes: “Who farted? Who didn’t take a shower? Put your shoes back on!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2021
I ask because I saw a lot of people on Twitter say that they would have farted in Roger Goodell’s chair.
From Slate ● Apr. 30, 2021
Madison’s expression was as though she’d just farted during a prayer.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
Perhaps he pictured a shared meal, clinking glasses and maybe a nostalgic movie on the sofa before comfortably sinking into slumber and loud farting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Actors spend years building a certain cool image, but within seconds of appearing onscreen in this movie, you’re whining, farting and generally making an ass of yourself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
"It makes a huge farting noise basically," says John Harrison, director of the site, as he explains where its name originates.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
“It’s 2026 and we don’t know how many times the average American is farting every day.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
They’d started farting before they’d even got back in the car.
From "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
