flew: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
HighGeneral
Quick answer
What does “flew” mean?
The past tense and past participle of the verb 'fly', meaning to move through the air, typically with wings, or to travel in an aircraft.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The past tense and past participle of the verb 'fly', meaning to move through the air, typically with wings, or to travel in an aircraft.
Used to describe moving or acting quickly, suddenly, or lightly (e.g., 'time flew by', 'the door flew open'); can also refer to something moving through the air under its own force or being propelled (e.g., 'the ball flew over the fence').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core usage. Both use 'flew' as the past tense of 'fly' (both literal and metaphorical).
Connotations
Identical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common and standard in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “flew” in a Sentence
Subject + flew (intransitive)Subject + flew + Object (transitive)Subject + flew + Prepositional Phrase (e.g., into, over, to)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “flew” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The bird flew south for the winter.
- He flew the new drone over the park.
- The report flew around the office in minutes.
American English
- The eagle flew over the canyon.
- She flew to Chicago for the conference.
- The ball flew out of the stadium.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"The CEO flew to Tokyo for the merger talks." (Common in travel context.)
Academic
"The data flew in the face of previous hypotheses." (Rare, more common is 'fly in the face of').
Everyday
"We flew to Spain for our holiday." / "The weekend just flew by."
Technical
"The prototype flew for the first time yesterday." (Aviation/engineering contexts.)
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “flew”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “flew”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “flew”
- Using 'flied' (regular past) instead of 'flew'. 'Flied' is only used in baseball for a specific play (a fly ball).
- Confusing 'flew' (past of fly) with 'flown' (past participle). Incorrect: *'I have flew to Paris.' Correct: 'I have flown to Paris.'
- Using 'flew' as a noun. Incorrect: *'A flew landed on my food.' Correct: 'A fly landed...'
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for their movement. 'A fly flew into my soup.' It is the past tense of the verb 'fly'. The insect itself is called a 'fly' (noun).
Yes, this is a very common metaphorical use meaning the days passed very quickly.
'Flew' is the simple past tense (e.g., 'Yesterday, I flew to Rome.'). 'Flown' is the past participle, used with auxiliary verbs like 'have', 'has', or 'had' (e.g., 'I have flown many times before.').
Rarely. In standard English, 'flew' is the past tense of 'fly'. 'Flied' is only used in baseball terminology, referring to hitting a fly ball (e.g., 'He flied out to centre field.').
The past tense and past participle of the verb 'fly', meaning to move through the air, typically with wings, or to travel in an aircraft.
Flew is usually general in register.
Flew: in British English it is pronounced /fluː/, and in American English it is pronounced /fluː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “time flew”
- “flew the coop”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
The bird knew what to do; it **flew** straight to its nest, just like the plane **flew** west. Both share the same past tense - 'flew' sounds like 'flu', an illness that can spread quickly.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A MOVING OBJECT/FLYING ENTITY (e.g., time flies/flew); RAPID MOVEMENT IS FLIGHT (e.g., she flew down the stairs).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the correct past participle form?