flow
Americanverb (used without object)
-
flows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flowed,
past participle, past
-
flowing
present participle
-
to move along in a stream.
The river flowed slowly to the sea.
-
to circulate.
blood flowing through one's veins.
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to stream or well forth.
Warmth flows from the sun.
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to issue or proceed from a source.
Orders flowed from the office.
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to menstruate.
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to come or go as in a stream.
A constant stream of humanity flowed by.
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to proceed continuously and smoothly.
Melody flowed from the violin.
- Synonyms:
- run
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to hang loosely at full length.
Her hair flowed over her shoulders.
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to abound in something.
The tavern flowed with wine.
- Synonyms:
- teem
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to rise and advance, as the tide (opposed to ebb).
verb (used with object)
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flows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flowed,
past participle, past
-
flowing
present participle
-
to cause or permit to flow.
to flow paint on a wall before brushing.
-
to cover with water or other liquid; flood.
noun
-
flows
plural
-
an act of flowing.
-
movement in or as if in a stream.
-
the rate of flowing.
-
the volume of fluid that flows through a passage of any given section during a unit of time.
Oil flow of the well was 500 barrels a day.
-
something that flows; stream.
-
an outpouring or discharge of something, as in a stream.
a flow of blood.
-
an overflowing; flood.
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the rise of the tide (opposed to ebb).
-
Machinery. progressive distortion of a metal object under continuous service at high temperature.
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Physics. the transference of energy.
heat flow.
verb
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(of liquids) to move or be conveyed as in a stream
-
(of blood) to circulate around the body
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to move or progress freely as if in a stream
the crowd flowed into the building
-
to proceed or be produced continuously and effortlessly
ideas flowed from her pen
-
to show or be marked by smooth or easy movement
-
to hang freely or loosely
her hair flowed down her back
-
to be present in abundance
wine flows at their parties
-
an informal word for menstruate
-
(of tide water) to advance or rise Compare ebb
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(tr) to cover or swamp with liquid; flood
-
(of rocks such as slate) to yield to pressure without breaking so that the structure and arrangement of the constituent minerals are altered
noun
-
the act, rate, or manner of flowing
a fast flow
-
a continuous stream or discharge
-
continuous progression
-
the advancing of the tide
-
a stream of molten or solidified lava
-
the amount of liquid that flows in a given time
-
an informal word for menstruation
-
-
a marsh or swamp
-
an inlet or basin of the sea
-
( capital when part of a name )
Scapa Flow
-
-
natural happiness
Usage
What is basic definition of flow? Flow means to move along in a stream, as water does. Flow also means to circulate, as air does. Flow is used as a noun to mean movement as if in a stream. Flow has several other senses as a verb and a noun. When something flows, it moves like water in a stream. When used literally, flow is almost always used to describe the movement of liquids or things that act like fluids. Flow is also often used figuratively to mean to move smoothly like water or a liquid.
- Real-life examples: Water flows through pipes. Magma flows out of a volcano. People hope traffic flows through a city so they don’t get stuck in a traffic jam.
- Used in a sentence: Roger lied so much that the lies flowed out of his mouth.
- Used in a sentence: The huge dam redirects the flow of the river away from the city.
- Used in a sentence: The heart makes sure blood flows throughout the body.
- Used in a sentence: A flow of shoppers streamed into the mall.
Synonym Usage
Flow, gush, spout, spurt refer to certain of the movements characteristic of fluids. Flow is the general term: Water flows. A stream of blood flows. To gush is to rush forth copiously from a cavity, in as large a volume as can issue therefrom, as the result of some strong impelling force: The water will gush out if the main breaks. Spout and spurt both imply the ejecting of a liquid from a cavity by some internal impetus given to it. Spout implies a rather steady, possibly well-defined, jet or stream, not necessarily of long duration but always of considerable force: A whale spouts. Spurt implies a forcible, possibly sudden, spasmodic, or intermittent issue or jet: The liquid spurted out suddenly when the bottle cap was pushed in. Spout applies only to liquids; the other terms apply also to gases.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flowsimple
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flowssimple
-
have flowedperfect
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has flowedperfect
-
am flowingprogressive
-
are flowingprogressive
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is flowingprogressive
-
have been flowingperfect progressive
-
has been flowingperfect progressive
Past
-
flowedsimple
-
had flowedperfect
-
was flowingprogressive
-
were flowingprogressive
-
had been flowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flow
First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English flowen, Old English flōwan; akin to Middle Low German vlōien, Old Norse flōa; (noun) late Middle English: “surge of a wave,” derivative of the verb
Explanation
The word flow has many shades of meaning but most involve the steady movement of something. Water can flow in a river, electricity can flow through a wire, and talk might also flow as you sit and chat with friends. The verb flow often describes the movement of fluids, such as water or even blood, but it can also describe other things that move in a constant stream. When you get that high-paying job, money might flow into your bank account. Until then, offers for help might flow in when you need to pay your credit card bill. Flow has a noun form as well. You might watch the flow of traffic on the street.
Vocabulary lists containing flow
"Death, be not proud" by John Donne
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"Water at Work"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Irrigation Pumps Can Save Poor Farmers"
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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:
CrowdStrike also achieved record free cash flow and new net annual recurring revenue, according to CFO Burt Podbere.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
He emptied his bench in a desperate attempt to stem the flow, but his substitutions, five in 12 befuddled minutes, had zero impact.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Dean “had found this flow as a performer, unleashed herself. To see your friend and business partner hit their stride after years of work was really special.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
It’s hard to put yourself in the flow of the rigors of all the great musicians that came before you and in your time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
We stood beneath the spigots as long as the flow of icy water lasted, feeling it soften our lice-eaten skin.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Several areas downstream of the Bhote Koshi river, which flows from Tibet to Nepal, are on high alert and roads, communications and power in the region have been disrupted.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Trade flows withstood the sharp increase in U.S. tariffs announced in 2025, with the volume of exports and imports rising by 4.2% during the year, a sharp acceleration from 2.6% in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“In the absence of material escalation and amid continuing grey flows through the Strait of Hormuz, oil markets remained mostly in a wait-and-see mode,” Peter Sidorov of Deutsche Bank wrote in a note on Tuesday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Subsequent years saw a drawn-out struggle across the industry to complete construction projects as shares plunged and cash flows dried up.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The bus strolls over a bridge where a river flows beneath us.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
Kohl’s said it received $150 million in tariff refunds during the quarter, about $100 million of which flowed through to gross margin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
They can remember the direction in which current previously flowed even after the power source is removed.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Oil-tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global crude and crude products flowed through in peacetime, has ground to a halt in recent days.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Ch Insp Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, tells the BBC that money had also flowed into the illegal sport through livestreams for gamblers in China on one or two occasions.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The water flowed apart, leaving a ditch of air down the middle.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Billions of dollars are flowing into therapies targeting age-related diseases specifically.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
In the Appalachian region stretching through the US state of West Virginia, the reddish water flowing out of retired coal mines is acidic, full of heavy metals and toxic for the environment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
Lava flowing from a volcano eventually cools and hardens into rock, while water in a lake can freeze into ice during a cold winter.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
The update will set rules for the Sacramento River and the rest of the Delta, where pumps operated by state and federal agencies send water flowing in aqueducts to farms and cities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
“A simple matter of mathematics, Johnny. If the current against you is flowing at—say—ten knots an hour, you have to be making at least eleven knots to move against it.”
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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.
