flee

[flee]

verb (used without object)

fled, fleeing 

1. to run away, as from danger or pursuers; take flight.

2. to move swiftly; fly; speed.

verb (used with object)

fled, fleeing 

1. to run away from (a place, person, etc.).

   Synonyms: elude, shun, avoid, escape, evade

flee

¹

/ fliː /

verb

1. to run away from (a place, danger, etc); fly

   to flee the country

2. (intr) to run or move quickly; rush; speed

   she fled to the door

flee

²

/ fliː /

verb

1. a Scot word for fly 1

noun

1. a Scot word for fly 2

Other Word Forms

• fleer noun
• outflee verb (used with object)
• unfleeing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flee¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English fleen, Old English flēon; cognate with Old High German flichan ( German fliehen ), Gothic thliuhan; compare Old English fleogan “to fly”; fly ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of flee¹

Old English flēon ; related to Old Frisian fliā , Old High German fliohan , Gothic thliuhan

Example Sentences

He said troops had "lost all sense of military discipline", as they shot unarmed civilians "in the back…as they were fleeing from them, on the streets of a British city".

Read more on BBC

Officials said Parias “weaponized his vehicle and began ramming the law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At the same time, a labor crunch is squeezing the economy as working-age men flee the country or go to the front.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Sheriff’s Department did not say where they believed Kaleel had fled to.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The country is facing growing pressure to manage migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in search of better opportunities in Europe.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• depart 
• desert 
• fly 
• get 
• jump 
• leave 
• retreat 
• take off 
• vanish 

When To Use

What does flee mean?

To flee is to run away or escape from a dangerous or otherwise negative situation.Much less commonly, flee can be used to mean to move at a fast pace. The past tense of flee is fled.Example: He was forced to flee his home as a result of the impending battle.