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.
-
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.
-
to abound in something.
The tavern flowed with wine.
- Synonyms:
- teem
-
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
-
(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
-
has flowedperfect
-
am flowingprogressive
-
are flowingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"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"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Instead of a sudden, catastrophic collision that destroys the smaller object, the star appears to be sustaining a relatively steady flow of material from its neighbor.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
Rain rates are probably going to be a quarter of an inch per hour or less, making debris flow and landslides unlikely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Drought status would in theory allow Yorkshire Water to reduce the flow out of some reservoirs which would normally replenish water courses, in order to slow their decline, and even apply for a hosepipe ban.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
That is the argument for factoring strategic investments into free cash flow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
He knelt at the water pump and drank deeply from the flow.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Higher rates reduce the present value of future cash flows.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026
About 56% of the water from the State Water Project flows to urban areas, while 44% is used for agriculture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
One area that may help is being included in broad crypto indices that could bring flows and trading volumes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Neither bank has seen an impact from China’s regulatory changes, which include tighter scrutiny of cross-border capital flows, and both are exposed to structural growth from Asia’s expanding private wealth pool, according to JPM.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The longest river in the world, the Nile flows through the length of Sudan, then through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.
From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau
Conversation flowed freely with their fellow Tigrayans in the TPF, who had taken up positions on the avenues and several key sites, including the northern region's presidency building and the police headquarters.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
The investment boom inspired by the artificial-intelligence build-out is increasing competition for investment capital that might have otherwise flowed into the Treasury market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Sheen’s love for the Eucharist was the spring from which his genius flowed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Russian crude, displaced from western markets after the invasion of Ukraine, has flowed instead to Indian refineries, often at attractive discounts.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
He and Abby stood together at the edge of the water, right where Magpie Creek flowed into the lake, and he handed the leaves to her, one at a time.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where California’s biggest rivers meet, the state’s massive pumps send water flowing into canals to about 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Oil prices jumped Thursday amid concerns about attacks threatening tanker operations that have helped keep oil flowing despite the conflict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
It is the large pool of domestic institutional and retail money, flowing into instruments like mutual funds, that have helped the markets avoid a sharper fall.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The team was good and the money was flowing.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
A baby in a flowing white gown, arranged on a tall chair out in the middle of a field.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
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.
