flit

[flit]

verb (used without object)

flitted, flitting 

1. to move lightly and swiftly; fly, dart, or skim along.

   bees flitting from flower to flower.

2. to flutter, as a bird.

3. to pass quickly, as time.

   hours flitting by.

4. Chiefly Scot. and North England.

   1. to depart or die.

   2. to change one's residence.

verb (used with object)

flitted, flitting 

1. Chiefly Scot.,  to remove; transfer; oust or dispossess.

noun

1. a light, swift movement; flutter.

2. Scot. and North England.,  a change of residence; instance of moving to a new address.

3. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.,  a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay man.

flit

/ flɪt /

verb

1. to move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart

2. to fly rapidly and lightly; flutter

3. to pass quickly; fleet

   a memory flitted into his mind

4. dialect,  to move house

5. informal,  to depart hurriedly and stealthily in order to avoid obligations

6. an informal word for elope

noun

1. the act or an instance of flitting

2. slang,  a male homosexual

3. informal,  a hurried and stealthy departure in order to avoid obligations (esp in the phrase do a flit )

4. See moonlight flit

Other Word Forms

• flittingly adverb
• flitter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of flit¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English flitten, from Old Norse flytja “to carry, convey,” Swedish flytta; fleet ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of flit¹

C12: from Old Norse flytja to carry

Synonym Study

See fly ².

Example Sentences

The volume, produced in collaboration with the artist’s daughter Paloma, takes inspiration from the 1932 show, pairing objects in a manner that leaps between decades, styles and media to capture the artist’s flitting energies.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

At work, she flitted between paperwork, cooking, online orders, posting on social media, and making connections at farmer’s markets.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

My eyes flit around the room before I bolt out of bed.

Read more on Literature

Sleepy as she was, her mind would not stop flitting from one worry to the next.

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A shadow flitted across her face; then she brightened.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• dart 
• flicker 
• flitter 
• flutter 
• hover 
• skip 
• whiz 
• zip