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

See Examples For:

flying

The forfeiture fight outlasted his flying career, and last year it produced the ruling the Supreme Court will now review.

From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026

Later, it intends to start also flying between Sydney and New York.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

The Times spoke with the heads of four of these nonprofits, all who said they feel like they’re flying blind and are contemplating cuts to services.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

If you’re flying this weekend, here’s hoping we avoid a repeat of last weekend’s mass cancellations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

There was something about the work that fascinated me: the flying sparks and the ringing anvil, the cherry-red metal and the roaring forge.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• aerial
• floating
• soaring