flirt

American  

[flurt] / flɜrt /

verb (used without object)

• flirts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flirted,
  past participle,  past
• flirting
  present participle

1. to court triflingly or act amorously without serious intentions; play at love; coquet.

   Synonyms:

   dally, tease

2. to trifle or toy, as with an idea.

   She flirted with the notion of buying a sports car.

   Synonyms:

   dally

3. to move with a jerk or jerks; dart about.

   butterflies flirting from flower to flower.

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verb (used with object)

• flirts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flirted,
  past participle,  past
• flirting
  present participle

1. to give a sudden or brisk motion to; wave smartly, as a fan.

2. to throw or propel with a toss or jerk; fling suddenly.

noun

• flirts
  plural

1. Also flirter. a person who is given to flirting.

   Synonyms:

   tease, coquette, minx

2. a quick throw or toss; sudden jerk or darting motion.

flirt British  

/ flɜːt /

verb

1. (intr) to behave or act amorously without emotional commitment; toy or play with another's affections; dally

2. to deal playfully or carelessly (with something dangerous or serious); trifle

   the motorcyclist flirted with death

3. to think casually (about); toy (with)

   to flirt with the idea of leaving

4. (intr) to move jerkily; dart; flit

5. (tr) to subject to a sudden swift motion; flick or toss

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noun

1. a person who acts flirtatiously

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• flirter
  noun
• flirty
  adjective
• flirtingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flirts
  plural

Participles

• flirting
  present
• flirted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• flirt
  simple
• flirts
  simple
• have flirted
  perfect
• has flirted
  perfect
• am flirting
  progressive
• are flirting
  progressive
• is flirting
  progressive
• have been flirting
  perfect progressive
• has been flirting
  perfect progressive

Past

• flirted
  simple
• had flirted
  perfect
• was flirting
  progressive
• were flirting
  progressive
• had been flirting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will flirt
  simple
• will have flirted
  perfect
• will be flirting
  progressive
• will have been flirting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of flirt

First recorded in 1540–50; of expressive origin; compare similar initial cluster in flap, flick ¹, flip ¹ and final elements of squirt, spurt

Explanation

If you're interested in someone romantically, you might flirt with them, which means to chat them up or tease them in a playful way. Flirting is an indirect and fun way to let your crush know you're interested, like a seductive line or a few coy words. Or if there's a girl you've had your eye on, you might make a point of walking by her desk and saying hello every morning. But even if you don't have a love interest, you can still flirt. Driving carelessly is flirting with disaster: it's almost like you're toying with the idea of getting into an accident.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flirt flirts flirted flirting

“You’re seeing more and more literary writers flirt with genre,” said Emilie Sommer, a book buyer at East City Bookshop in Washington, D.C.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Once everyone is locked in, COs get to lounge around inside the bubble: eat, drink coffee, flirt with each other, complain, maybe nap until they have to perform the 10:30 p.m. count.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

"Those years when you're sort of experimenting with how you show up in person with another person, how you flirt, how you think about intimacy, that was interrupted for many people," she says.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

When I sit down to meal plan, I open my grocery list in one tab and my supermarket’s app in another and let them flirt with each other for a few minutes.

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

I lol, and feel like a fool for even thinking her a flirt.

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

She smiles, laughs, cries, makes jokes, stomps her foot, flirts and gossips about other women with a girlfriend.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

America flirts with it and folds, every single cycle.

From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2026

It’s great theater when a champion flirts with a crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

Though her film flirts with surrealism, Bronstein carefully maintains a sense of truth as Linda scrapes past a never-ending pile of obstacles, trying to claw her way free before she’s buried alive.

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2025

He hates it when she flirts with others.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

This included the fear that she might lose him, specifically to a red-headed bank clerk who had flirted with him early on in their marriage.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

It is in stark contrast to last term, when the Paisley side flirted with relegation, coming through a play-off to retain their top-flight status.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

“Throughout my career, I’ve always flirted with the genre,” Peluso said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

The vampire at the center of Rice’s beloved novels has flirted with music before.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

He flirted so well with Hazel that he had obviously stolen her heart.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Papa Pope’s harsh words were meant to prepare his daughter for the risks inherent to flirting with power.

From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026

She was thinking about a bank teller who had been flirting with her spouse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

With culture shifts happening in restaurant kitchens, perhaps it was prudent to show Bourdain’s character merely flirting with the dark side.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Whether you’re flirting or trying to make friends, it’s easier to exist in places where you’re not thought of as inherently ugly.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Archie lingered, knowing he was flirting with a tardy rap.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

Related Words

• tease