DictionaryAI

fly

FLY/flaɪ/

Verbflies, flying, flew, flown

Noun pluralflies, flys

46 meanings of fly

Practice

  1. 1
    travel by airverbintransitive
    To travel through the air, another gas, or a vacuum, without touching a grounded surface.

    Migratory geese fly thousands of miles each year between their feeding grounds.

    The drone flew steadily over the flooded valley while the camera recorded.

    UsagePast forms are flew and flown (not incorrect: flied): birds flew south, have flown. Often fly to, over or across a place.

    Note

    Here the verb takes no object, while its causative partner does.

  2. 2
    two-winged insectnouncountable
    A small two-winged insect, such as the common housefly.

    Entomologists distinguish a true fly by its single pair of working wings.

    Scientists have named well over a hundred thousand kinds of flies, from tiny fruit flies to large, biting horseflies.

    UsageThe plural is flies: fruit flies, a swarm of flies.

    Note

    In zoology the word is strict and generous at once: every member of the order Diptera counts, midges and mosquitoes included. That is why a limnologist like Douglas Larson can call chironomids "midge flies" without stretching the term.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Flies are insects of the order Diptera, which includes midges and mosquitoes. en.wikipedia.org
    • Douglas Larson is a limnologist and called chironomids “midge flies.” en.wiktionary.org
  3. 3
    verbtransitive
    To operate and steer an aircraft, drone, or spacecraft in flight.

    Only two astronauts on the crew are trained to fly the capsule by hand.

    He flew cargo jets for an overnight delivery company for twenty years.

    UsageThe aircraft is the object: fly a plane, fly a drone. With no object, learn to fly.

    Similarpilot

  4. 4
    verbintransitive
    To move or go very quickly or suddenly; to rush.

    Commuters fly through the station to catch the last train home.

    The weeks flew by during summer break.

    UsageSet phrase time flies. Also with direction words: fly by, fly past, fly out the door.

    Similarrush, race, dash, speed, zoom

    Oppositecrawl, drag, dawdle

    Note

    Speed without wings: a cyclist flies down a hill, a ship flies on in Bryant's Iliad, and, above all, time flies. Milton speaks to it directly in "Fly, envious Time." With time as the subject, it usually describes how fast the hours feel rather than how fast anything moves.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Bryant's translation of the Iliad describes a ship as flying on. en.wiktionary.org
    • Milton directly addresses Time with the words “Fly, envious Time”. en.wikisource.org
  5. 5
    transport (plane)verbtransitive
    To transport someone or something through the air, as by aircraft.

    Rescue teams fly injured climbers down from the mountain.

    The company flew its executives to the summit on a private jet.

    Usagefly people or goods somewhere, often passive: supplies were flown in by helicopter.

    Similarairlift

    Note

    The causative use: an airline flies passengers, a helicopter flies in supplies, and a postal service flies letters around the globe.

  6. 6
    raise flagverbtransitive
    To display a flag by raising it on a flagpole or mast.

    Government buildings fly the flag at half-mast after a tragedy.

    The sailors flew their country's colors from the mast.

    Usagefly the flag, or fly it at half-mast to mourn; sailors fly their colors.

    Similardisplay, hoist, raise

    Oppositelower, strike

    Note

    The flag verb, and another ergative one: a building flies a flag, and the flag flies over the building. The flag's free end shares the spelling, the edge farthest from the pole, a noun built on the same root as the verb.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • The flag-edge noun fly shares its etymological root with the verb fly: the noun descends from Proto-Germanic *flugiz, derived from *fleuganą (‘to fly’). en.wiktionary.org
  7. 7
    fishing lurenouncountable
    A very light fishing lure made by tying feathers, fur or thread onto a hook, usually to look like an insect or other small prey, used especially in fly fishing.

    The angler cast his fly upstream and let it drift over the trout.

    A well-tied fly can fool even a wary fish.

    Note

    An angler's word: the lure takes the insect's name because it is usually tied to pass for one, though some imitate small fish, shrimp or worms. Fish rise at flies, as small trout rise at the narrator's in a tale by the Norwegian folklorist Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, and rise is the verb that partners it most naturally. The same noun names the whole sport, fly fishing, in which a dry fly may be cast so that it lands like a living insect.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

  8. 8
    be acceptedverbcolloquialintransitive
    Of a plan, idea or project, to be accepted, work out or succeed.

    The proposal might fly if the budget stays low.

    Their excuse never flew with the teacher.

    UsageMostly in doubt or negatives: that won't fly, see if it flies, won't fly with the boss.

    Similarwork, succeed, wash

    Oppositefail, flop

  9. 9
    high ball (baseball)nouncountable
    A baseball hit high into the air, especially one that can be caught for an out.

    The outfielder drifted back to catch the fly near the wall.

    A deep fly to right field let the runner tag up and score.

    Note

    Baseball's everyday word for a fly ball, a ball hit high instead of along the ground. Fielders drift back to catch a fly, and a direction usually follows, as in a deep fly to right. The batter's side of the play has a verb of its own, with an unexpected past tense.

    Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

    • A fly ball is batted high into the air rather than along the ground. img.mlbstatic.com
    • Fielders move backward to catch fly balls. mlb.com
    • The baseball verb fly describes hitting a fly ball and has the past tense flied. en.wiktionary.org
  10. 10
    nouncountable
    An instance or act of moving through the air.

    The wind picked up after lunch, so we took the new kite out for a fly.

    Dad promised the boys they could give the kite a fly on the beach.

    UsageMostly give a kite a fly or take it out for a fly; otherwise flight is usual.

    Similarflight

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of fly apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 2, 7, 16, 18–19

From Middle English flye, from Old English flȳġe, flēoge ("a fly"), going back to Proto-Germanic *fleugǭ and the Proto-Indo-European root *plewk- ("to fly"). It is related to Dutch vlieg, German Fliege, and Swedish fluga.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

Meanings 1, 3–6, 8, 11, 13, 20, 23

Old English flēogan became Middle English flien. Behind it lies Proto-Germanic *fleuganą, which also gave Dutch vliegen and German fliegen, and before that the Proto-Indo-European root *plewk- ("to fly"), an extended form of *plew- ("flow").

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

Meanings 9–10, 12, 15

Proto-Germanic *flugiz gave Old English flyge, which became Middle English flye. Both of those words meant "flying, flight."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Meanings 17, 21–22

Of uncertain origin, but probably from the verb or noun "fly."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

  • The adjective fly has an uncertain origin, probably from the verb or noun fly. en.wiktionary.org