flit
Americanverb (used without object)
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flits,
present (3rd person singular)
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flitted,
past participle, past
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flitting
present participle
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to move lightly and swiftly; fly, dart, or skim along.
bees flitting from flower to flower.
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to flutter, as a bird.
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to pass quickly, as time.
hours flitting by.
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Chiefly Scot. and North England.
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to depart or die.
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to change one's residence.
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verb (used with object)
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flits,
present (3rd person singular)
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flitted,
past participle, past
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flitting
present participle
noun
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a light, swift movement; flutter.
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Scot. and North England. a change of residence; instance of moving to a new address.
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Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay man.
verb
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to move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
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to fly rapidly and lightly; flutter
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to pass quickly; fleet
a memory flitted into his mind
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dialect to move house
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informal to depart hurriedly and stealthily in order to avoid obligations
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an informal word for elope
noun
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the act or an instance of flitting
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slang a male homosexual
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informal a hurried and stealthy departure in order to avoid obligations (esp in the phrase do a flit )
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See moonlight flit
Synonym Usage
See fly 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flitsimple
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flitssimple
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have flittedperfect
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has flittedperfect
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am flittingprogressive
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are flittingprogressive
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is flittingprogressive
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have been flittingperfect progressive
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has been flittingperfect progressive
Past
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flittedsimple
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had flittedperfect
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was flittingprogressive
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were flittingprogressive
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had been flittingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flit
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English flitten, from Old Norse flytja “to carry, convey,” Swedish flytta; see fleet 2
Explanation
A flit is a quick movement. You might flit around a crowded party, greeting everyone briefly with some light-hearted chatter and moving on quickly. Whether it's used to describe something literal or figurative, flit refers to something fleeting and quick. Flit and fleet are both related to float. Something that floats keeps moving. A smile might flit across your face or a thought may flit into your mind. That means the smile or the thought is there for a second and then gone.
Vocabulary lists containing flit
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Stargirl
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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.
See Examples For:
To that end, the show’s characters flit from one iconic L.A. destination to another, including Trumps, a bygone West Hollywood restaurant; the Sherman Oaks Galleria; and Westwood Village.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The contemporary costumes are unchanged as the actors flit between roles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
Today, bicycles and bright yellow three-wheeled "keke" taxis flit along paved streets or new highway flyovers direct traffic over packed roundabouts.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025
Hargitay doesn’t flit between talking heads at warp speed to feed the viewer information, or overly rely on archival footage and old photos to make the film feel like a glorified Wikipedia deep dive.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2025
I kept my eyes fixed on Lucy, as did Van Helsing, and we saw a spasm as of rage flit like a shadow over her face; the sharp teeth champed together.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Ray’s camera flits, with arresting rhythm, between the players; Aparna flits her eyelids as she names Cleopatra during the first round.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
A butterfly flits near his shoulder, to symbolize how, Yeo has stated, “the subject’s role in our public life has transformed.”
From Salon ● May 17, 2024
“The CEO’s attention flits onto something else, and they never systematize the change,” Sigelman said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2024
Ben Affleck flits in and out of this like a little-seen hummingbird.
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2024
The words trigger something in my mind, but it flits away.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
"We have never seen or even heard a single gunshot being fired," he said from his son's sitting room as children flitted about.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
The Spanish, who had at first just flitted along the coast in their galleons, had begun marching inland and overland from Mexico with crosses and soldiers and soldiers’ families.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Godwill Kukonki – Another player who has flitted between the under-18 and under-21 sides this season.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
In the months leading up to the U.S. and Israeli campaign, senior Arab officials say Araghchi flitted between openness, at times joining friendly dinners, and menacing by appearing to imply Iran might attack its neighbors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
The notion of studying German or abnormal psychology flitted through my head.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
He’s both movie-star hunky and action-star engrossing, flitting between these two deceptively binary ends without breaking a sweat.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026
“When we’re at dinner, I don’t want to have projects about work flitting through my head, and I used to do that way too much,” he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Rates flitting back below 6% isn’t out of the question this year.
From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026
Best of all is Allergy – whose flitting percussion adds a casual swagger to Salieu's story of becoming "allergic to the bad vibes" after turning to scripture.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025
Yes, yes, the perfumer is saying, his gaze flitting over von Rumpel’s insignia, a few years ago he helped authorities apprehend an out-of- towner who was taking measurements of buildings.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
