flighty

[flahy-tee]

See more synonyms for flighty on Thesaurus.com

adjective, flight·i·er, flight·i·est.

given to flights of fancy; capricious; frivolous.
slightly delirious; light-headed; mildly crazy.
irresponsible: He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.

Archaic. swift or fleet.

Origin of flighty

First recorded in 1545–55; flight¹ + -y¹

Related formsflight·i·ly, adverbflight·i·ness, nounun·flight·y, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for flighty on Thesaurus.com

1. mercurial, undependable, irresponsible.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for flighty

Contemporary Examples

During the last presidential debate, Neves went so far to refer to Rousseff as “flighty.”
What Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff Can Teach Hillary Clinton
Heather Arnet
October 29, 2014
Plus, Joaquin spent the entirety of his last film falling in love with a flighty blonde who's tied to an technological device.
Marry, Screw, Kill: Lindsay Lohan Sex List Scandal Edition
Amy Zimmerman
March 12, 2014
Evan Rachel Wood stars as a flighty barista in ‘A Case of You,’ premiering at Tribeca.
Evan Rachel Wood on Tribeca Film ‘Case Of You,’ Coming Out as Bisexual, Her Pregnancy, and More
Marlow Stern
April 24, 2013
She grew up an orphan in Japanese internment camps and has a flighty streak.
3 Great Reads for Thanksgiving
Taylor Antrim
November 25, 2009
She's not so much manic or pixie as flighty and, frankly, callous.
Indie Dream Girls
Doree Shafrir
July 20, 2009

Historical Examples

A most flighty beast he was—nerves all gone—I dare say a hopeless neurasthenic.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson
"Ethel is a vain, flighty woman," Marlow said, in reply to his wife's remark.
People of Position
Stanley Portal Hyatt
You're growing old and forgetful, so don't get foolish and flighty.
Paul Prescott's Charge
Horatio Alger
“You are a dear, ignorant, flighty young gentleman,” she said.
The Arrow of Gold
Joseph Conrad
He found her remarkably bright and sensible and not at all "flighty."
Frank Merriwell's Cruise
Burt L. Standish

British Dictionary definitions for flighty

flighty

adjective flightier or flightiest

frivolous and irresponsible; capricious; volatile
mentally erratic, unstable, or wandering
flirtatious; coquettish

Derived Formsflightily, adverbflightiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for flighty

adj.

1550s, "swift," later (1768) "fickle or frivolous," originally of skittish horses; from flight (n.1) + -y (2). Related: Flightiness.

flighty

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}flighty

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for flighty

Contemporary Examples

During the last presidential debate, Neves went so far to refer to Rousseff as “flighty.”

Plus, Joaquin spent the entirety of his last film falling in love with a flighty blonde who's tied to an technological device.

Evan Rachel Wood stars as a flighty barista in ‘A Case of You,’ premiering at Tribeca.

She grew up an orphan in Japanese internment camps and has a flighty streak.

She's not so much manic or pixie as flighty and, frankly, callous.

Historical Examples

A most flighty beast he was—nerves all gone—I dare say a hopeless neurasthenic.

"Ethel is a vain, flighty woman," Marlow said, in reply to his wife's remark.

You're growing old and forgetful, so don't get foolish and flighty.

“You are a dear, ignorant, flighty young gentleman,” she said.

He found her remarkably bright and sensible and not at all "flighty."

flighty

Word Origin and History for flighty

adj.

Origin of flighty