Showing results for "flying"

• present participle of fly.

flying

American  

[flahy-ing] / ˈflaɪ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. making flight or passing through the air; that flies.

   a flying insect; an unidentified flying object.

2. floating, fluttering, waving, hanging, or moving freely in the air.

   flying banners; flying hair.

3. extending through the air.

4. moving swiftly.

5. made while moving swiftly.

   a flying leap.

6. very hasty or brief; fleeting or transitory.

   a flying visit; a flying remark.

7. designed or organized for swift movement or action.

8. fleeing, running away, or taking flight.

   They pursued the flying enemy.

9. Nautical. (of a sail) having none of its edges fastened to spars or stays.

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noun

1. the act of moving through the air on wings; flight.

adverb

1. Nautical. without being fastened to a yard, stay, or the like.

   a sail set flying.

flying British  

/ ˈflaɪɪŋ /

adjective

1. (prenominal) hurried; fleeting

   a flying visit

2. (prenominal) designed for fast action

3. (prenominal) moving or passing quickly on or as if on wings

   a flying leap

   the flying hours

4. hanging, waving, or floating freely

   flying hair

5. nautical (of a sail) not hauled in tight against the wind

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noun

1. the act of piloting, navigating, or travelling in an aircraft

2. (modifier) relating to, capable of, accustomed to, or adapted for flight

   a flying machine

Other Word Forms

• nonflying
  adjective
• unflying
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of flying

before 1000; Middle English (noun); Old English flēogende (adj.). See fly ², -ing ², -ing ¹

Explanation

The act of soaring through the air is flying. You can also use this word to describe anything that's soaring through the air, like a flying squirrel or flying insects. Use flying for anything that flaps or flutters above the ground, from flying fish to flying turkeys. It's also good for describing things that are propelled or blown into the air: "As the baseball hit the window, I ducked to avoid the flying glass." "The wind picked up and I watched the flying leaves dance around my yard." Some things only appear to fly, like a flying buttress, an architectural projection that "flies" from the side of a building.

Example Sentences

As their $20 bills started flying at him, so did their stories, about how raw milk had healed their health issues, including asthma.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026

While these insolent young men live in a medieval fantasy world of flying beasts, they reflect a very modern obsession with a younger generation that can’t live up to the precedent set by their forebears.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Police Scotland said six people had been charged over various offences on the first night of the festival, including a 42-year-old who is accused of flying a drone over the festival site.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026

An NNA journalist had also reported drones flying over the Tyre area, while an AFP correspondent heard continuous artillery shelling in the southern town of Nabatieh.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

Now, after flying across the world to find her, someone was telling him to turn around.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• aerial
• floating
• soaring