flap

American  

[flap] / flæp /

verb (used without object)

• flaps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flapped,
  past participle,  past
• flapping
  present participle

1. to swing or sway back and forth loosely, especially with noise.

   A loose shutter flapped outside the window.

2. to move up and down, as wings; flap the wings, or make similar movements.

3. to strike a blow with something broad and flexible.

4. Slang. to become excited or confused, especially under stress.

   a seasoned diplomat who doesn't flap easily.

---

verb (used with object)

• flaps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flapped,
  past participle,  past
• flapping
  present participle

1. to move (wings, arms, etc.) up and down.

2. to cause to swing or sway loosely, especially with noise.

3. to strike with something broad and flat.

4. to toss, fold, shut, etc., smartly, roughly, or noisily.

5. Phonetics. to pronounce (a sound) with articulation resembling that of a flap.

   The British often flap their r's.

noun

• flaps
  plural

1. something flat and broad that is attached at one side only and hangs loosely or covers an opening.

   the flap of an envelope; the flap of a pocket.

2. either of the two segments of a book jacket folding under the book's front and back covers.

3. one leaf of a folding door, shutter, or the like.

4. a flapping motion.

5. the noise produced by something that flaps.

6. a blow given with something broad and flat.

7. Slang.

   1. a state of nervous excitement, commotion, or disorganization.

   2. an emergency situation.

   3. scandal; trouble.

8. Surgery. a portion of skin or flesh that is partially separated from the body and may subsequently be transposed by grafting.

9. Aeronautics. a movable surface used for increasing the lift or drag of an airplane.

10. Phonetics.

    1. a rapid flip of the tongue tip against the upper teeth or alveolar ridge, as in the r -sound in a common British pronunciation of very, or the t -sound in the common American pronunciation of water.

    2. a trill.

    3. a flipping out of the lower lip from a position of pressure against the upper teeth so as to produce an audible pop, as in emphatic utterances containing f -sounds or v -sounds.

11. Building Trades.

    1. Also called backflap hinge.  Also called flap hinge.  a hinge having a strap or plate for screwing to the face of a door, shutter, or the like.

    2. one leaf of a hinge.

flap British  

/ flæp /

verb

1. to move (wings or arms) up and down, esp in or as if in flying, or (of wings or arms) to move in this way

2. to move or cause to move noisily back and forth or up and down

   the curtains flapped in the breeze

3. informal (intr) to become agitated or flustered; panic

4. to deal (a person or thing) a blow with a broad flexible object

5. to toss, fling, slam, etc, abruptly or noisily

6. (tr) phonetics to pronounce (an (r) sound) by allowing the tongue to give a single light tap against the alveolar ridge or uvula

---

noun

1. the action, motion, or noise made by flapping

   with one flap of its wings the bird was off

2. a piece of material, etc, attached at one edge and usually used to cover an opening, as on a tent, envelope, or pocket

3. a blow dealt with a flat object; slap

4. a movable surface fixed to the trailing edge of an aircraft wing that increases lift during takeoff and drag during landing

5. surgery a piece of tissue partially connected to the body, either following an amputation or to be used as a graft

6. informal a state of panic, distress, or agitation

7. phonetics an (r) produced by allowing the tongue to give a single light tap against the alveolar ridge or uvula

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• flapless
  adjective
• unflapping
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flaps
  plural

Participles

• flapping
  present
• flapped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• flap
  simple
• flaps
  simple
• have flapped
  perfect
• has flapped
  perfect
• am flapping
  progressive
• are flapping
  progressive
• is flapping
  progressive
• have been flapping
  perfect progressive
• has been flapping
  perfect progressive

Past

• flapped
  simple
• had flapped
  perfect
• was flapping
  progressive
• were flapping
  progressive
• had been flapping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will flap
  simple
• will have flapped
  perfect
• will be flapping
  progressive
• will have been flapping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of flap

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English flappe “a blow, slap,” flappen “to hit, slap”; compare Dutch flap, flappen

Explanation

You're probably familiar with the verb to "flap," which is what birds do with their wings. But as a noun, a flap is a fuss, an argument, or a gossipy feud. A big part of the pleasure of reality TV shows is watching how quickly a person can start a flap. A dumb remark, a furtive glance, a missed phone call: any of these things can start the characters bickering. And the flap can go on for an entire season! One way to remember the meaning of the verb to flap is to imagine the sound of many wings flapping. That's the sound a flap might make if you could hear it. The leak from the senator's press agent might have caused a firestorm. Instead it resulted in just a minor flap.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flap flaps flapped flapping

Sparrows in New Zealand flap their wings near automatic-door sensors at bus stations, then sweep inside to feast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

The bitter flap about historical memory appears to have had little if any impact on business, tourism and other links between Spain and Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026

The viral flap it caused proved all over again how Hollywood celebrity often trumps almost every other form of entertainment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

"Therefore, getting a cat flap is proving a little bit difficult."

From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026

He flipped open the cover and read the flap, his mouth pressed into a line, his eyebrows knit together.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

She told The Wall Street Journal that she fixed credit card-sized location trackers inside the back covers behind the dust jacket flaps of books in two separate shipments in late June and early July.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

But flaps have flared up in the last lap.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Airbus has similarly shut two sites in Salaunes and Mérignac, where it makes critical components ranging from cockpit seat structures to fuselage sections, nose cones and wing flaps for its lineup of commercial aircraft.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

As the valve tissue degenerates, the thin flaps that should meet neatly can thicken, stretch, or lose their normal shape.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

Its wings moved up and down with long, massive flaps that swept away the clouds we were flying through.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

A string of miniature national flags flapped in the wind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

Thai flags flapped in the breeze and barbed wire lay scattered in Klong Paeng, another border village on the Thai military trip.

From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026

A U.S. flag flapped on a pole just above a Hanwha company flag.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025

"Fear is natural," Brahim had told me, looking up at the ridge where tarpaulin flapped at the settlers' lookout post in front of a few caravans and makeshift homes.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2025

My woolen wings fluttered and flapped at the ends of my arms.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Floridians are flapping over what should be the state bird.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

Jackie and Shadow’s youngsters — now teens by eagle standards — are hopping and flapping their wings as they prepare for their first flight, known as fledging.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

That afternoon in 2025, with his shellacked coif flapping against his bronzed forehead in the wind, the president held up hastily-assembled poster boards bearing the names of the world’s countries and territories.

From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026

Little stone circles had been laid as impromptu memorials to the men at the site where they died, a little Palestinian flag flapping above one.

From Barron's ● Mar. 15, 2026

She says more words, but I can’t hear anything over the roaring in my head, over the noise of the flapping flags.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• dangle
• flail
• flop
• hang
• thrash
• vibrate