flirt
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to give a sudden or brisk motion to; wave smartly, as a fan.
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to throw or propel with a toss or jerk; fling suddenly.
verb
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(intr) to behave or act amorously without emotional commitment; toy or play with another's affections; dally
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to deal playfully or carelessly (with something dangerous or serious); trifle
the motorcyclist flirted with death
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to think casually (about); toy (with)
to flirt with the idea of leaving
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(intr) to move jerkily; dart; flit
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(tr) to subject to a sudden swift motion; flick or toss
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flirtsimple
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flirtssimple
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have flirtedperfect
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has flirtedperfect
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am flirtingprogressive
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are flirtingprogressive
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is flirtingprogressive
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have been flirtingperfect progressive
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has been flirtingperfect progressive
Past
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flirtedsimple
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had flirtedperfect
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was flirtingprogressive
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were flirtingprogressive
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had been flirtingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flirt
First recorded in 1540–50; of expressive origin; compare similar initial cluster in flap, flick 1, flip 1 and final elements of squirt, spurt
Explanation
If you're interested in someone romantically, you might flirt with them, which means to chat them up or tease them in a playful way. Flirting is an indirect and fun way to let your crush know you're interested, like a seductive line or a few coy words. Or if there's a girl you've had your eye on, you might make a point of walking by her desk and saying hello every morning. But even if you don't have a love interest, you can still flirt. Driving carelessly is flirting with disaster: it's almost like you're toying with the idea of getting into an accident.
Vocabulary lists containing flirt
"Analysis of Baseball" and "Singing and Stretching"
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The Lions of Little Rock
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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:
"Those years when you're sort of experimenting with how you show up in person with another person, how you flirt, how you think about intimacy, that was interrupted for many people," she says.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
An avaricious, envious flirt on the undisguised lookout for something better, she is angry that John wouldn’t use slave labor to build their house.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
Many of those companies would flirt with losing money if competition from AI materializes, and a few might ultimately file for bankruptcy.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
It’s no-bake, yes, but it’s also a canvas: a place to flirt with flavor, indulge in textures, and conjure a sliceable memory.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
He was polite about it, and although he didn’t really flirt back, he did offer them a bottle of water.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
The Sparks have a decision to make about how hard they want to push the rest of this season as the team flirts with missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
America flirts with it and folds, every single cycle.
From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2026
It’s great theater when a champion flirts with a crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
In “The Rat Race,” she flirts with a chatty restaurant server making tableside guacamole, who, like her, hate-watches a reality show called “Bi Bingo.”
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
He hates it when she flirts with others.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Scheffler's surprising soliloquy about the importance of chasing golfing greatness caused a stir at Portrush last year and the four-time major winner flirted with similar territory at Birkdale.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
To leaders who flirted with the idea of a new West, without America as its linchpin, he had a response: “Keep on dreaming.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
After eight seasons with the Lakers, he became an unrestricted free agent and flirted with retirement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
The vampire at the center of Rice’s beloved novels has flirted with music before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
A Pennsylvania woman flirted, asked for his autograph.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
The pound was flirting with 2026 lows against the dollar while yields on U.K. government bonds edged higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Emery immediately made an impact, imposing structure, clarity and belief on a Villa side that was once again flirting with relegation to guide them to a top‑seven finish and European qualification in his first season.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
Zimbabwe is "flirting with an opportunity" to maximise revenue from the global green energy boom, said human rights defender Rashweat Mukundu.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
U.S. stocks were flirting with a critical threshold on Wednesday that, if broken, could portend another 10% drop for the S&P 500, according to one technical analyst.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 18, 2026
If to sit and talk was flirting — if, indeed, it was anything at all.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
