fly
(flaɪ )
Word forms: flies , flying , flew , flown
1. countable noun B1
A fly is a small insect with two wings. There are many kinds of flies, and the most common are black in colour.
2. verb A2 [Also VERB]
When something such as a bird, insect, or aircraft flies, it moves through the air.
The planes flew through the clouds. [VERB preposition/adverb]
The bird flew away. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: take wing, soar, glide, take to the air
3. verb A1
If you fly somewhere, you travel there in an aircraft.
He flew to Los Angeles. [VERB preposition/adverb]
He flew back to London. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Mr Baker flew in from Moscow. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: jet, travel by plane, go by air, travel in an aircraft
4. verb B2
When someone flies an aircraft, they control its movement in the air.
Parker had successfully flown both aircraft. [VERB noun]
He flew a small plane to Cuba. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
His inspiration to fly came even before he joined the Army. [VERB]
Synonyms: pilot, control, operate, steer
flying uncountable noun B2
...a flying instructor.
Synonyms: airborne, waving, winging, floating
Synonyms: fast, running, express, speedy
Synonyms: hurried, brief, rushed, fleeting
5. verb
To fly someone or something somewhere means to take or send them there in an aircraft.
It may be possible to fly the women and children out on Thursday. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
The relief supplies are being flown from a warehouse in Pisa. [be VERB-ed adverb/preposition]
Synonyms: airlift, send by plane, take by plane, take in an aircraft
6. verb
If something such as your hair is flying about, it is moving about freely and loosely in the air.
His long, uncovered hair flew back in the wind. [VERB adverb/preposition]
She was running down the stairs, her hair flying. [VERB]
7. verb
If you fly a flag or if it is flying, you display it at the top of a pole.
They flew the flag of the African National Congress. [VERB noun]
A flag was flying on the new military HQ. [VERB]
Synonyms: flutter, wave, float, flap
8. verb
If you say that someone or something flies in a particular direction, you are emphasizing that they move there with a lot of speed or force. [emphasis]
She flew to their bedsides when they were ill. [VERB preposition/adverb]
I flew downstairs. [VERB preposition/adverb]
There are bullets flying around your head. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: rush, race, shoot, career
9. verb
If you tell someone that you must fly, you are indicating that you have to leave in a great hurry.
I must fly or I'll miss my plane. [VERB]
I'll have to fly. [VERB]
Synonyms: leave, disappear, get away, depart
10. verb
If stories or rumours are flying around a place, they are being discussed a great deal and by a lot of people within a short period of time.
Rumours had been flying around the workrooms all morning. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Rumours were flying about possible deals. [VERB]
11. countable noun
The front opening on a pair of trousers is referred to as the fly, or in British English the flies. It usually consists of a zip or row of buttons behind a band of cloth.
12. countable noun
In fishing, a fly is a model of a small winged insect that is used as a bait.
13. See also flying, tsetse fly
14. wouldn't harm a fly phrase
If you say that someone wouldn't hurt a fly or wouldn't harm a fly, you are emphasizing that they are very kind and gentle. [emphasis]
Ray wouldn't hurt a fly.
...a lovely girl, who would not have harmed a fly.
15. to let fly phrase
If you let fly, you attack someone, either physically by hitting them, or with words by insulting them.
A simmering row ended with her letting fly with a stream of obscenities.
Synonyms: attack, assault, criticize, assail
16. on the fly phrase [PHRASE after verb]
If you do something on the fly, you do it quickly without thinking about it or planning it in advance, especially while something else is happening. [informal]
It was all pretty much done on the fly.
17. send someone/something flying phrase
If you send someone or something flying or if they go flying, they move through the air and fall down with a lot of force.
The blow sent the young man flying.
18. a fly on the wall phrase
If you say that you would like to be a fly on the wall in a situation that does not involve you, you mean that you would like to see or hear what happens in that situation.
What I'd give to be a fly on the wall when Davis finds out what's happened to his precious cargo.
19. See also fly-on-the-wall
20. to fly the coop phrase [VERB inflects]
If you say that someone has flown the coop, you mean that they have left a place or situation that limits their freedom.
...a family whose children have grown up and flown the coop.
She graduates to senior stylist and then flies the coop to set up in a salon of her own.
21. as the crow flies phrase
If you say that a place is a particular distance away as the crow flies, you mean that it is that distance away measured in a straight line.
It was 150 miles inland from Boston as the crow flies.
22. to fly in the face of phrase
If an action or belief flies in the face of accepted ideas or rules, it seems to completely oppose or contradict them.
...scientific principles that seem to fly in the face of common sense.
He said that the decision flew in the face of natural justice.
Synonyms: defy, oppose, disregard, go against
23. to fly the flag phrase
If you fly the flag, you show that you are proud of your country, or that you support a particular cause, especially when you are in a foreign country or when few other people do.
The athlete flew the flag with distinction for Britain.
24. to fly off the handle phrase
If you fly off the handle, you suddenly and completely lose your temper. [informal]
He flew off the handle at the slightest thing.
Synonyms: lose your temper, explode, lose it [informal], lose the plot [informal]
25. a fly in the ointment phrase
If you describe someone or something as a fly in the ointment, you think they spoil a situation and prevent it being as successful as you had hoped.
Rachel seems to be the one fly in the ointment of Caroline's smooth life.
26. pigs might fly phrase
If you say ' pigs might fly' after someone has said that something might happen, you are emphasizing that you think it is very unlikely. [humorous, informal, emphasis]
'There's a chance he won't get involved in this, of course.'—'And pigs might fly.'
27. sparks fly phrase
If sparks fly between people, they discuss something in an excited or angry way.
They are not afraid to tackle the issues or let the sparks fly when necessary.
28. time flies phrase B2
If you say that time flies, you mean that it seems to pass very quickly.
Time flies when you're having fun.
Phrasal verbs:
fly at
phrasal verb
If you fly at someone, you attack them, either physically by hitting them, or with words by insulting them.
She flew at him for making a very anti-British remark. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
fly into
phrasal verb
If you fly into a bad temper or a panic, you suddenly become very angry or anxious and show this in your behaviour.
Losing a game would cause him to fly into a rage. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
Image of fly
Shutterstock
Idioms:
fly off the handle
to suddenly become very angry about something and behave in an uncontrolled and irrational way
Unless some decision was reached, they might fly off the handle and do something foolish.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
someone wouldn't hurt a fly or someone wouldn't harm a fly
said to mean that someone is very kind and gentle
He is, he insists, a pacifist, who would not hurt a fly.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
someone would love to be a fly on the wall
said to mean that someone would like to be present when a particular thing happens, and hear what is said or see what happens, although this is actually impossible because it will take place in private
I'd love to be a fly on the wall at their team meetings.
I'd love to work as the personal photographer of a rock star for a year, documenting their life on the road from a fly-on-the-wall perspective.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
the fly in the ointment
the person or thing that prevents a situation from being as successful or enjoyable as it otherwise would be
He is considering the possibility of joining the RAF as a medic. There is only one fly in the ointment: the RAF's insistence on short haircuts.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
do something on the fly
to do something quickly and automatically, without thinking about it or planning it in advance
This gives architects and designers the power to build an environment, explore it and maybe do some designing on the fly.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
fly the flag
to represent your country or a group to which you belong at a sporting event or at some other special occasion, or to do something to show your support for it
It doesn't matter whether you are flying the flag for your country, or the Horse Trials Group, or your sponsor, the image you present is all-important.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
fly in the face of something
to be completely against accepted ideas, rules, or practices
The plan to sell ivory flies in the face of the international ban.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
fly the coop
to leave a situation, for example because you do not like it or because you want to have more freedom
It should be a proud moment when a senior stylist flies the coop to set up in a salon of his or her own.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
fly blind
to be in a situation where you have nothing to help or guide you
We will be flying blind into a world we don't know anything about.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
fly a kite [mainly British]
to suggest ideas or possibilities in order to see how people react to them before deciding whether or not to put them into practice
The committee has paid a good deal of attention to what might be politically possible. It is consciously flying a kite.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
fly the nest or leave the nest
to leave your parents' home to live on your own
When their children had flown the nest, he and his wife moved to a thatched cottage in Dorset.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
pigs might fly [British]
said to mean that you think that something that someone has said is very unlikely to happen or be true
`There's a chance he isn't involved in this, of course.' `And pigs might fly.'
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
fly by the seat of your pants
to do something difficult or dangerous using only your instincts, because you lack the right kind of experience or information about it
The truth is that neither experts nor mothers know as much as each might wish; to a great extent, all of us fly by the seat of our pants and try to learn quickly from experience.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
sparks fly
if sparks fly between two people, they discuss something in an angry or excited way
From what I have seen of this TV discussion programme, the presenters are not afraid to tackle serious issues or let the sparks fly when necessary.
used to describe a situation or relationship that is very exciting
Whenever two such temperamental artists meet, you know sparks will fly.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Collocations:
fly a helicopter fly a mission fly a plane fly a route fly larvae fly overhead fly overseas fly solo fly trap hours fly by
He hunted, skied and learnt to fly a helicopter.
Times,Sunday Times
Oh, and in how to fly a helicopter.
Times, Sunday Times
I can see that being paid to learn to fly a helicopter could be a lot of fun if you have an aptitude for that kind of thing.
Times, Sunday Times
When they've done that, they will fly a helicopter over certain parts of it.
Times, Sunday Times
In his sixties he learnt to fly a helicopter.
Times, Sunday Times
Undaunted by an onboard fire on his first combat mission, he continued to fly his missions despite burns.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
That's why we feel we should redesign the ice/frost ramp before we fly this mission.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Each of the six journalists (two reporters didn't fly that day) who flew the mission that day were on different planes.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
I never once flew a mission without a specific target, usually a munitions factory or transport line.
The Sun
L 57, a specially lengthened craft was to have flown the mission but was destroyed shortly after completion.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
A 4 discount if you are prepared to fly the plane yourself.
The Sun
Had the pilot trained somebody to help him fly the plane?
Times, Sunday Times
He was on medication including anti-depressants that could have affected his ability to fly a plane.
The Sun
In his fifties he learnt to fly a plane.
Times,Sunday Times
I want to finish my flying exams and learn to fly a plane at night!
The Sun
They are the first airline to fly the route direct.
The Sun
Anyway, how many people fly the route?
Times, Sunday Times
The airline was not authorised to fly the route that day, and there have been questions about whether the pilot had a weather report before take-off.
Times, Sunday Times
Airlines no longer needed to apply for concession from the government, but could fly any route they wanted to.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
It was the first aircraft to fly that route without stopping.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
And last autumn was not too cold, which should have been good for crane fly larvae, which are very sensitive to drying out.
The Sun
On the food front, you can even find casu marzu, the local 'maggot cheese' with fly larvae.
Times, Sunday Times
The compound, found in secretions from the green bottle fly larvae, stops bacterial infection spreading.
The Sun
Swamp darters feed on fly larvae, amphipods, and other small crustaceans and insects.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Fly larvae are 16 cm long and take 13 years to mature from egg to adult.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
However, the building later appeared to have been retaken by the separatists, whose flag continued to fly overhead.
Times, Sunday Times
Seemingly endless flocks of birds would fly overhead every spring and fall.
Christianity Today
They abandoned the wreckage only for another pilot to fly overhead, witness the scene and report back that no one had survived the crash.
Times, Sunday Times
But his friend was still waiting for him to return when he saw the air ambulance fly overhead to the scene of the wreckage.
The Sun
Caimans doze on the banks while rainbow-hued parrots fly overhead.
Smithsonian
The company has global distribution agreements, while staff continually fly overseas to attend trade shows, join trade missions, and to engage with current and prospective customers.
Times, Sunday Times
Unless they are flying overseas, when it will be business class as usual.
ST
An airline captain who flies overseas routes also runs a small filling station near his home.
Christianity Today
I recently flew overseas and had, even in economy, a great flight.
Globe and Mail
He found a way to travel with the stars that flew overseas to entertain the troops.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
She admits she could have done more to correct misleading reports that made liberal use of the phrase'flying solo '.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The general rule of thumb is that most pilots fly solo for an hour.
INCA GOLD (1994)
Yet they are far from flying solo.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Today he is due to become the youngest person to fly solo around the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Those flying solo will feel lucky in love when introduced to a chef.
The Sun (2016)
Some fungi exhibit trap closure similar to the venus fly trap.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
You might have noticed that the sticky fly traps sold for greenhouses are usually yellow.
Times, Sunday Times
He fashioned 16 simple fly traps out of two plastic water bottles, connected like an hourglass.
Smithsonian Mag
Reading hours fly by and reaching the final page feels like a genuine wrench.
Times, Sunday Times
Five and a half hours fly by.
Times, Sunday Times
There's warmth and breadth and two hours fly by.
Times, Sunday Times
There was plenty of onboard entertainment (and drinks) to make 11 hours fly by, while state-of-the-art cabins designed to reduce jet lag meant we arrived feeling surprisingly refreshed.
The Sun
Translations:
Chinese: 苍蝇, 飞翔
Japanese: ハエ, 飛ぶ
- movie star
- movie stardom
- movie studio
- movie theater
- movie theme
- movie ticket
- movie title
- movie trailer
- moving
- moving account
- moving force
- moving images
- movingly
- moving object
- moving picture
- moving scene
- moving sight
- moving speech
- moving spirit
- moving spirit/force
- moving story
- moving tribute
- mow
- mow a lawn
- mow down