flying
Americanadjective
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making flight or passing through the air; that flies: fly.
a flying insect; an unidentified flying object.
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floating, fluttering, waving, hanging, or moving freely in the air.
flying banners; flying hair.
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extending through the air.
-
moving swiftly.
-
made while moving swiftly.
a flying leap.
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very hasty or brief; fleeting or transitory.
a flying visit; a flying remark.
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designed or organized for swift movement or action.
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fleeing, running away, or taking flight.
They pursued the flying enemy.
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Nautical. (of a sail) having none of its edges fastened to spars or stays.
noun
adverb
adjective
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(prenominal) hurried; fleeting
a flying visit
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(prenominal) designed for fast action
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(prenominal) moving or passing quickly on or as if on wings
a flying leap
the flying hours
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hanging, waving, or floating freely
flying hair
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nautical (of a sail) not hauled in tight against the wind
noun
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the act of piloting, navigating, or travelling in an aircraft
-
(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
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.
While the number of air passengers flying into nearby airports during ski season continued to rise at Vail, Aspen and Jackson Hole following the pandemic, they had flattened in Telluride.
In the lead-up to the campaign, Israel’s military brass had been flying in and out of Washington to plan the offensive, including its top general, air force chief, head of military intelligence and Mossad director.
“People are really scared,” said a retired oil executive who packed his bags and fled for his villa on the Caspian Sea after watching missiles flying over Tehran.
And in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates' capital, golfers enjoying a quiet round were stunned to see dozens of projectiles flying overhead.
From Barron's
Dubai’s Emirates, for instance, is one of only a select group of airlines flying Airbus’ A380 jets, the largest commercial plane ever built, with room for more than 500 passengers.
From MarketWatch
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.
