fly

¹ American  

[flahy] / flaɪ /

noun

• flies
  plural

1. 

   Also called true fly. any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially of the family Muscidae, as the common housefly.

2. any of various winged insects, as the mayfly or firefly.

3. Angling. a fishhook dressed with hair, feathers, silk, tinsel, etc., so as to resemble an insect or small fish, for use as a lure or bait.

4. Astronomy. Fly, the constellation Musca.

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idioms

1. fly in the ointment, a detrimental factor; detraction.

   If there's one fly in the ointment, it's that there may not be the money to finish the job.

fly ² American  

[flahy] / flaɪ /

verb (used without object)

• flies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flew,
  past
• flied,
  past participle,  past
• flown,
  past participle
• flying
  present participle

1. to move through the air using wings.

2. to be carried through the air by the wind or any other force or agency.

   bits of paper flying about.

3. to float or flutter in the air.

   flags flying in the breeze.

4. to travel in an aircraft or spacecraft.

5. to move suddenly and quickly; start unexpectedly.

   He flew from the room.

6. to change rapidly and unexpectedly from one state or position to another.

   The door flew open.

7. to flee; escape.

8. to travel in space.

   The probe will fly past the planet.

9. to move or pass swiftly.

   How time flies!

10. to move with an aggressive surge.

    A mother fox will fly at anyone approaching her kits.

11. Baseball.

    1. to bat a fly ball.

       He flied into right field.

    2. to fly out.

12. Informal. to be acceptable, believable, or feasible.

    It seemed like a good idea, but it just wouldn't fly.

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verb (used with object)

• flies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flew,
  past
• flied,
  past participle,  past
• flown,
  past participle
• flying
  present participle

1. to make (something) float or move through the air.

   to fly a kite.

2. to operate (an aircraft, spacecraft, or the like).

3. to hoist aloft, as for display, signaling, etc..

   to fly a flag.

4. to operate an aircraft or spacecraft over.

   to fly the Pacific.

5. to transport or convey by air.

   We fly merchandise to Boston.

6. to escape from; flee.

   to fly someone's wrath.

7. Theater.

   1. to hang (scenery) above a stage by means of rigging supported by the gridiron.

   2. to raise (scenery) from the stage or acting area into the flies.

noun

• flies
  plural

1. a strip of material sewn along one edge of a garment opening for concealing buttons, zippers, or other fasteners.

2. a flap forming the door of a tent.

3. Also called tent fly. a piece of canvas extending over the ridgepole of a tent and forming an outer roof.

4. an act of flying; a flight.

5. the course of a flying object, as a ball.

6. Baseball. fly ball.

7. British. a light, covered, public carriage drawn by one horse; hansom; hackney coach.

8. Machinery. a horizontal arm, weighted at each end, that pivots about the screw of a press so that when the screw is lowered the momentum of the fly will increase the force of the press.

9. Also called fan. Horology. a regulating device for chime and striking mechanisms, consisting of an arrangement of vanes on a revolving axis.

10. Printing.

    1. (in some presses) the apparatus for removing the printed sheets to the delivery table.

    2. Also called flyboy. (formerly) a printer's devil employed to remove printed sheets from a press.

11. (on a flag)

    1. the horizontal dimension of a flag as flown from a vertical staff.

    2. the end of the flag farther from the staff.

12. Also called fly loft. Theater. flies. the space above the stage used chiefly for storing scenery and equipment.

13. Nautical. a propellerlike device streamed to rotate and transfer information on speed to a mechanical log.

verb phrase

1. fly out to be put out by hitting a fly ball that is caught by a player of the opposing team.

idioms

1. fly off the handle. handle.

2. fly blind,

   1. to operate an airplane, especially during conditions of poor visibility, relying solely on instruments for guidance.

   2. to proceed with a complex task in the absence of directions by using one's own ability to determine what procedures to follow.

3. fly in the face of, to act in defiance of (authority, custom, etc.). Also fly in the teeth of

4. go fly a kite,

   1. to put up with or get used to matters as they stand.

   2. to confine oneself to one's own affairs.

   3. to cease being a nuisance.

      If she gets mad enough she'll tell me to go fly a kite.

5. on the fly,

   1. during flight; before falling to the ground.

      to catch a baseball on the fly.

   2. hurriedly; without pausing.

      We had dinner on the fly.

6. let fly,

   1. to hurl or propel (a weapon, missile, etc.).

   2. to give free rein to an emotion.

      She let fly with a barrage of angry words.

fly ³ American  

[flahy] / flaɪ /

adjective

flyer, flyest

1. Slang. stylish, attractive, sophisticated, etc..

   She put on silver stilettos, her flyest outfit, and plenty of bling, ready to party till dawn.

2. British Slang. aware and worldly; clever; smart.

   Adults generally found him sly and conniving, but his teenage followers were convinced he was fly.

3. British Slang. dexterous; agile; nimble.

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fly ¹ British  

/ flaɪ /

adjective

1. knowing and sharp; smart

2. furtive or sneaky

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noun

1. in secret; sneakily

fly ² British  

/ flaɪ /

noun

1. any dipterous insect, esp the housefly, characterized by active flight See also horsefly blowfly tsetse fly crane fly

2. any of various similar but unrelated insects, such as the caddis fly, firefly, dragonfly, and chalcid fly

3. angling a lure made from a fish-hook dressed with feathers, tinsel, etc, to resemble any of various flies or nymphs: used in fly-fishing See also dry fly wet fly

4. (in southern Africa) an area that is infested with the tsetse fly

5. slang to drink alone

6. See amber

7. informal a slight flaw that detracts from value, completeness, or enjoyment

8. a person who watches others, while not being noticed himself or herself

9. informal he is no fool

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fly ³ British  

/ flaɪ /

verb

1. (intr) (of birds, aircraft, etc) to move through the air in a controlled manner using aerodynamic forces

2. to travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft

3. to operate (an aircraft or spacecraft)

4. to float, flutter, or be displayed in the air or cause to float, etc, in this way

   to fly a kite

   they flew the flag

5. to transport or be transported by or through the air by aircraft, wind, etc

6. (intr) to move or be moved very quickly, forcibly, or suddenly

   she came flying towards me

   the door flew open

7. (intr) to pass swiftly

   time flies

8. to escape from (an enemy, place, etc); flee

   he flew the country

9. (intr; may be foll by at or upon) to attack a person

10. (intr) to have a sudden outburst

    he flew into a rage again

11. (intr) (of money, etc) to vanish rapidly

12. (tr) falconry (of hawks) to fly at (quarry) in attack

    peregrines fly rooks

13. (tr) theatre to suspend (scenery) above the stage so that it may be lowered into view

14. 1. to procure money by an accommodation bill

    2. to release information or take a step in order to test public opinion

15. informal

    1. to have a high aim

    2. to prosper or flourish

16. See face

17. informal to lose one's temper

18. informal to leave suddenly

19. informal go away

20. informal

    1. to lose one's temper (with a person)

       she really let fly at him

    2. to shoot or throw (an object)

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noun

1. Also called: fly front. (often plural) a closure that conceals a zip, buttons, or other fastening, by having one side overlapping, as on trousers

2. Also called: fly sheet.

   1. a flap forming the entrance to a tent

   2. a piece of canvas drawn over the ridgepole of a tent to form an outer roof

3. a small air brake used to control the chiming of large clocks

4. the horizontal weighted arm of a fly press

5. 1. the outer edge of a flag

   2. the distance from the outer edge of a flag to the staff Compare hoist

6. a light one-horse covered carriage formerly let out on hire

7. an attempt

   I'll give it a fly

8. printing

   1. a device for transferring printed sheets from the press to a flat pile

   2. Also called: flyhand. a person who collects and stacks printed matter from a printing press

   3. a piece of paper folded once to make four pages, with printing only on the first page

9. (plural) theatre the space above the stage out of view of the audience, used for storing scenery, etc

10. rare the act of flying

fly Scientific  

/ flī /

1. Any of numerous insects of the order Diptera, having one pair of wings and large compound eyes. Flies include the houseflies, horseflies, and mosquitoes.

2. See more at dipteran

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Usage

Plural word for fly The plural form of fly is flies. Words that end with a -y and are preceded by a consonant are made plural by changing the -y to -ies, as in party/parties, candy/candies, and duty/duties.  This can be confusing, because words that end with a -y and are preceded by a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) are pluralized by adding an -s to the end, as in chimney/chimneys and fray/frays.

Synonym Usage

Fly, flit, flutter, hover, soar refer to moving through the air as on wings. Fly is the general term: Birds fly. Airplanes fly. To flit is to make short rapid flights from place to place: A bird flits from tree to tree. To flutter is to agitate the wings tremulously, either without flying or in flying only short distances: A young bird flutters out of a nest and in again. To hover is to linger in the air, or to move over or about something within a narrow area or space: hovering clouds; a hummingbird hovering over a blossom. To soar is to (start to) fly upward to a great height usually with little advance in any other direction, or else to (continue to) fly at a lofty height without visible movement of the wings: Above our heads an eagle was soaring.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• flyability
  noun
• flyable
  adjective
• flyless
  adjective
• nonflyable
  adjective
• reflyable
  adjective
• unflyable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flies
  plural

Participles

• flying
  present
• flied
  past
• flown
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• fly
  simple
• flies
  simple
• have flied
  perfect
• have flown
  perfect
• has flied
  perfect
• has flown
  perfect
• am flying
  progressive
• are flying
  progressive
• is flying
  progressive
• have been flying
  perfect progressive
• has been flying
  perfect progressive

Past

• flew
  simple
• flied
  simple
• had flied
  perfect
• had flown
  perfect
• was flying
  progressive
• were flying
  progressive
• had been flying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will fly
  simple
• will have flied
  perfect
• will have flown
  perfect
• will be flying
  progressive
• will have been flying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of fly¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English flīe, Old English flēoge, flȳge; cognate with Middle Dutch vliege ( Dutch vlieg ), Old High German flioga ( German Fliege ); akin to fly ²

Origin of fly²

First recorded before 900; Middle English flīen, Old English flēogan; cognate with Old High German fliogan, German fliegen, Old Norse fljuga

Origin of fly³

First recorded in 1805–15; perhaps special use of fly ²

Explanation

Fly describes moving through the air, like birds that fly in the sky, or getting something accepted, like your silly excuse that's not going to fly with your history teacher. Fly means "move through the air with wings," and it describes the movement of birds, airplanes, kites, and other things that float or move of their own accord above the ground. There are many other meanings of fly, including a buzzing insect with wings, a baseball hit high across a field, and the zipper on a pair of pants. As an adjective, fly means cool, though there's no guarantee it's still fly to use it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fly flies flyer flyest flew flied flown flying

Fielder is a constant presence in the documentary, a decision made on the fly, the filmmakers said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Alyxxx is a DJ who performed at Trans*cendent who stands out to Savage because of her ability to pivot on the fly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

He went to Pakistan in July 2025 and did not return for his trial in September of that year, despite being ordered to fly back to the UK by the judge.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Beyond any ground speeds, Musk has even suggested the Roadster might hover or fly by using technology from his rocket company SpaceX.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

His leaves are turning yellow and brittle, and a tiny fly buzzes around his body.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Every autumn, an elite group of 3,000 business travelers flies halfway around the world for an event with millions of dollars on the line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

"It smells horrible," he said, explaining the fungus attracts flies which help spread its spores.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

As the days went on, the smell worsened, drawing swarms of flies and rats to the neighborhood, where they pestered and sickened locals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

The experiments were conducted in fruit flies, so additional research will be needed to determine how closely the same mechanisms operate in people.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

Seven eyed her toad, who was sitting happily in his travel tank eating a ceramic dish full of spicy flies.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

An investigation into any potential crime after the death of a Scottish wingsuit flyer during a jump in the Swiss Alps has been dropped.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Recently, I watched someone stop on the street to read a flyer for a Repair Fair.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

Mr. James’s main characters are men who have answered a flyer advertising auditions for a local theater performance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Round-trip flights from Atlanta to Boston cost him 180,000 of his frequent flyer points for three tickets.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

I saw a flyer at the library yesterday, for the 4-H poultry program.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

“If you have an outfit on, but you don’t have cologne on or you don’t smell good, do you even have the flyest fit on? What’s the point,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2024

She told her fellow graduates and their families that they were “the flyest class ever to do it.”

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 15, 2023

Unlike her fellow Jersey teens who insist that superheroes aren’t cool, Kamala Khan, the heroine of Marvel’s upcoming Ms. Marvel series, thinks capes are the flyest thing in the world.

From The Verge ● Mar. 15, 2022

In denim overalls, a matching jacket and red cap, he cruises out on what looks like the concert platform of the flyest club in town.

From New York Times ● Apr. 8, 2021

The weird-looking dude, Lu, was decked out in the flyest gear.

From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds

On 20 September, he flew to Kisangani, a city with a population of about 1.5 million people on the Congo River, where he spent more than 10 days seeking medical care.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Taiwanese fighter jets and two Chinook helicopters carrying giant Taiwan flags flew over the capital ahead of Lai's wide-ranging speech, which also covered housing pressure and the declining population.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

The adults flew back to the UK and were arrested at the airport.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

The Artemis II astronauts who flew around the moon earlier this year are back in Florida, reunited with their capsule and launch team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Not taking time to open the gate, I flew over the rail fence and ran to the store.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

After Bryce Teodosio flied out for the second out of the inning, Yamamoto’s day was done.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2026

Freeman, however, flied out to leave more baserunners stranded.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025

Will Smith pinch-hit for Michael Conforto at the last second — literally running out of the dugout with Conforto already digging in at the plate — but flied out to center.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2025

He struck out in his next trip to the plate, then flied out to left in the fifth inning.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2025

“Them as has got wings is flied awayer,” growled the second man; “them as has got paddles is swimmed; and them as can’t find the dry patches is gone down.”

From Dick o' the Fens A Tale of the Great East Swamp by George Manville Fenn

"This standard drone route will have exactly the same route flown month by month, year by year and visually it's going to give us some amazing information about how it's recovering," Sarah says.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Amid ongoing U.S. concerns about security, all the bombers were abruptly flown out of the base last weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

When the song outgrows the blue-ribbon crowd, they’re flown to Los Angeles for one nationally televised performance before falling out in a bit of dressing room melodrama.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

The hospital gets about 700 trauma patients each year and, of those, about 70 need to be flown to the mainland, CEO Tim Kielpinski told The Times in an interview.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Her remark about James not being right for me rushed back into my head, along with the way I’d flown out of the Joynt in a tizzy.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

That’s the share of involuntarily bumped passengers who were flying American Airlines last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The Royal Household has said she is an experienced pilot, having logged about 1,188 hours across several types of aircraft since she began flying in 2010.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

At least three helicopters were flying overhead downtown near Skid Row in the aftermath of the Thursday sweep.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

His next holiday will be a cruise leaving from Southampton, allowing him to avoid the stress he associates with flying.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Invisible sparks are flying everywhere, and I don’t want to get burned.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• circle
• climb
• cross
• drift
• float
• flutter
• glide
• operate
• pilot
• reach
• rush
• sail
• shoot
• speed
• swoop
• take off
• travel