- present participle of flow.
flowing
Americanadjective
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moving in or as in a stream.
flowing water.
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proceeding smoothly or easily; facile.
flowing language.
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long, smooth, graceful, and without sudden interruption or change of direction.
flowing lines; flowing gestures.
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hanging loosely at full length.
flowing hair.
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abounding; having in excess.
a land flowing with milk and honey.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of flowing
before 950; Middle English flowynge, Old English flōwende. See flow, -ing 2
Explanation
Anything flowing moves like liquid, such as the flowing water of a river or someone’s long, flowing hair. Even a conversation can be flowing if people have a lot to say to each other. The adjective flowing is useful for describing things that drape gracefully, like Rapunzel's flowing hair or Cinderella's flowing gown. The sleek and streamlined movements of a ballet dancer might also be called flowing, and so can particularly graceful writing: "The poet's flowing lines beautifully evoked a summer afternoon." Flowing comes from flow, from a root meaning "to stream, melt, or become liquid."
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.
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 plans include a short-term fix for an ailing reservoir and longer-term efforts to keep the river flowing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
I almost see the invisible energy flowing off the man, like air rippling near a fire.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
