fly

FLY/flaɪ/

Verbflies, flying, flew, flown

Noun pluralflies, flys

46 meanings of fly

Practice

1
travel by airverbintransitive
To move through the air without touching the ground.
Like a kite that stays up in the air instead of resting on the ground.
Birds fly south every winter to find warmer weather.
The plane was flying high above the clouds.
UsageSay fly, flew, have flown.
Note
2
two-winged insectnouncountable
A small flying insect with two wings, like the ones that buzz around food.
Like a housefly or mosquito: bugs that have only one pair of wings.
A fly has only two wings, unlike a bee with four.
Many flies hover near still water where they lay their eggs.
UsageOne fly, two flies.
Note
3
verbtransitive
To control a plane, drone, or spacecraft as it travels through the air or space.
My uncle learned to fly small planes when he was in college.
She flies a drone to take photos of houses for sale.
UsageSay fly a plane or learn to fly.
Similarpilot
4
verbintransitive
To move or go very fast or very suddenly.
Like running as fast as you can to catch a bus before it leaves.
The kids fly down the hill on their bikes after school.
She flew out the door when the phone rang.
Usagetime flies means time passes fast.
Similarrush, race, dash, speed, zoom
Oppositecrawl, drag, dawdle
Note
5
transport (plane)verbtransitive
To move people or things through the air, usually in a plane.
Pilots fly passengers across the ocean every day.
They flew the supplies into the flooded town by helicopter.
UsageSay food was flown in: brought by plane.
Similarairlift
Note
6
raise flagverbtransitive
To raise and show a flag on a pole.
They fly the national flag on holidays.
The ship flew a red flag as a warning to others.
UsageSay fly the flag.
Similardisplay, hoist, raise
Oppositelower, strike
Note
7
fishing lurenouncountable
A light fishing lure, often made of feathers on a hook, that looks like an insect or other small prey.
Like a fake bug on a hook that tricks a fish into biting.
He tied a small fly to the end of his line.
She picked a bright fly to catch trout in the stream.
Note
8
be acceptedverbcolloquialintransitive
To work well or be accepted, said of a plan or idea.
Like a kite that finally catches the wind and stays up.
I don't think that plan will fly with the boss.
If the price is too high, the new game just won't fly.
Usagethat won't fly means people will not accept it.
Similarwork, succeed, wash
Oppositefail, flop
9
high ball (baseball)nouncountable
In baseball, a ball hit high into the air.
The batter hit a high fly to center field.
She caught the fly for the final out of the game.
Note
10
nouncountable
A single trip or moment of moving through the air.
Can I have a fly of your kite at the park?
We took the new drone to the park for a quick fly.
UsageSay give the kite a fly.
Similarflight

Less common meanings

11
verbtransitive
To make a kite or something like it go up and stay in the air, while you control it from the ground.
On windy days we go to the beach to fly our kites.
The kids were flying a red kite high above the park.
UsageSay fly a kite.
12
zipper flapnouncountable
The flap of cloth at the front of pants that covers the zipper or buttons.
He zipped up his fly before answering the door.
Check that your fly is closed before the meeting starts.
Usageyour fly is down means your zipper is open.
Similarzipper, zip
Note
13
verbcolloquialintransitive
To do very well or move ahead fast and with success, like a team or a business.
Our team is flying this season, and we haven't lost a game yet.
With a little luck, her new bakery could really fly this year.
Similarthrive, soar, flourish
Oppositestruggle, flounder
14
hit high (baseball)verbintransitive
In baseball, to hit the ball high into the air.
Like popping a ball straight up so it comes down for someone to catch.
The batter flied out to center field to end the inning.
Hitters who swing under the ball often fly out.
UsageIn baseball, the past is flied: he flied out.
Note
15
tent flapnouncountable
A piece of cloth on a tent that covers the door or goes over the top to keep rain out.
We zipped the fly shut to keep out the rain.
The tent's fly flapped loudly in the wind all night.
Similarflap
16
nouncountable
An insect that looks like a true fly but belongs to a different group, such as a dragonfly or butterfly.
Caddisflies and stoneflies are flies that begin their lives in water.
We watched a mayfly, a thin fly with long tails, rest on the window.
Note
17
stylishadjectiveslang
Looking cool, stylish, or good-looking.
He looked really fly in his new suit.
Those new sneakers are so fly.
Similarstylish, cool, sharp, fresh
Oppositeuncool, unfashionable
Note
18
swim strokenoununcountable
A swimming stroke where both arms move forward over the water at the same time.
Like a butterfly flapping both wings together as it moves.
She swims the fly faster than anyone on her team.
He struggled to learn the fly when he first joined the squad.
Similarbutterfly
Note
19
arm exercisenouncountable
An exercise where you sweep slightly bent arms in a wide curve, usually from your sides to in front of you.
Like slowly opening and closing your arms as if hugging a big tree.
Lie on the bench and do ten slow flies with light weights.
Keep your arms straight when you do a chest fly.
Note
20
fleeverbarchaictransitive or intransitive
To run away from danger.
Sleep flies the wretch.
1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John DrydenHere, flies means runs away from.
Fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.
1667, John Milton, Paradise LostHere, fly means run away or escape.
Note
21
secretadjectiveslang
Done in a secret, sneaky way.
Like passing a secret note so the teacher doesn't notice.
He sneaked behind the shed for a fly smoke.
She took a fly look at her phone under the desk.
Similarsecret, covert, clandestine, sneaky, surreptitious
Oppositeopen, public
Note
22
sharp-wittedadjectivedated
Smart and quick to notice things.
Like someone who notices everything and can never be fooled.
The old shopkeeper was too fly to be cheated.
He was a fly lad who spotted every trick.
Similarsharp, shrewd, canny, astute, smart
Oppositenaive, gullible, slow
Note
23
verbintransitive
Of a flag or banner, to be high up or to wave in the wind while held at one end.
Flags fly outside the school every day.
A red banner was flying from the top of the tower.
UsageA flag flies from a pole.
Similarflutter, wave
Note
24
verb
For an insect, to be in its grown, winged form.
25
noun
Short form of fly route: in football, a play where a player runs straight and deep to catch a long pass.
26
noun
The outer edge of a flag, farthest from the pole.
27
noun
Short form of flywheel: a heavy wheel that spins to help a machine run at an even speed.
28
noun
On a weather vane, the flat part that turns to show which way the wind is coming from.
29
noun
In finance, a kind of options trade that combines four contracts to limit risk.
30
nounobsolete
A spirit helper of a witch, in the shape of an insect.
a trifling fly, none of your great familiars
1610, Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist
31
nounobsolete
Someone who lives off other people.
The fly that plays too near the flame burns in it.
1636, Philip Massinger, “The Bashful Lover”
32
noun
A 1960s dance where you shake your hands in the air.
33
verb
To use a trained hawk or falcon to catch animals.
34
noun
How long a flag is from the pole to the far end.
35
noun
The part of a compass that shows north, south, east and west.
36
noun
Blades that spin and use air to slow a machine, like in a clock.
37
noun
A small horse carriage you could pay to ride in.
And, driving back in the fly, Macmaster said to himself that you couldn't call Mrs. Duchemin ordinary, at least.
1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not… (Parade's End)
38
noun
A small hinged part on a knitting machine needle that holds a loop.
39
noun
The arms on a spinning wheel that go around and twist the yarn.
40
noun
A shuttle sent through the gap between threads on a loom by a sharp hit or pull.
41
noun
A worker who lifted fresh pages out of an old printing machine.
42
noun
A moving part on a printing machine that takes the printed pages off.
43
noun
Scenery hanging high above where actors perform.
44
noun
Cotton bits that are thrown away in a factory.
45
noundialectalNorthern EnglandScotland
The part of a bird or insect used for flying.
46
noun
Another spelling of vly, a word for a swamp in New York.

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 Old English flȳġe or flēoge, meaning "a fly."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

The noun fly derives from Old English flȳġe or flēoge, meaning a fly. gutenberg.org

Meanings 1, 3–6, 8, 11, 13, 20, 23

From Old English flēogan, meaning "to fly."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The verb fly derives from Old English flēogan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English flēogan means “to fly.” en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 9–10, 12, 15

From Old English flyge, meaning "flying" or "flight."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

The noun fly derives from Old English flyge, meaning flying or flight. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 17, 21–22

Origin uncertain, probably from the verb or noun "fly."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The origin of the adjective "fly" is uncertain. en.wiktionary.org
The adjective "fly" probably derives from the verb or noun "fly". en.wiktionary.org