flier
Americannoun
-
something that flies, as a bird or insect.
-
an aviator or pilot.
-
an airplane passenger, especially one who travels regularly by air.
-
a person or thing that moves with great speed.
-
some part of a machine having a rapid motion.
-
a small handbill; circular.
-
Informal. a flying jump or leap.
He took a flier off the bridge.
-
Informal. a risky or speculative venture.
Our flier in uranium stocks was a disaster.
-
one of the steps in a straight flight of stairs.
-
a trapeze artist; aerialist.
-
a silvery-green sunfish, Centrarchus macropterus, found from Virginia to Florida and through the lower Mississippi valley.
noun
Etymology
Origin of flier
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at fly 2, -er 1
Explanation
Go to a career fair and you'll be accosted with fliers or leaflet advertisements for the many companies there. Often fliers are a waste of paper because they get thrown away. Just like the paper fliers that people hand to you on the street that end up flying into a trash cans, a flier can also mean someone who flies or travels by air. You might also see the word spelled flyer, which works too. A frequent flier is a person who travels a lot. Get enough frequent flier miles on an airline and you could fly somewhere for free.
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.
The future of the ultralow-cost carrier, a breed of cramped flier that dominates in Europe, is in question in America.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
Quarterback Cade Klubnik was a bit of a flier in the fourth round but one worth taking if veteran Geno Smith struggles.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
Taking a flier on a D-III pitcher was no longer justifiable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
My niece isn’t a frequent flier and was grateful for my help getting her new flights home from Florida without paying a cent during last month’s blizzard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
In the end, she chose the swallow—small, yes, and delicate, but a good flier and a keen eye.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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.
