fly
A1Core vocabulary, used across all registers from informal to technical.
Definition
Meaning
To move through the air using wings or by being carried by air; to operate or travel in an aircraft.
To move swiftly; to escape; to succeed or function well; to display a flag; to transport by air; to travel over a route in an aircraft.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The verb 'fly' has a wide semantic range from the literal act of flight to numerous metaphorical extensions (e.g., time flies, ideas fly). Its noun form (the insect) is a classic example of a homonym.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The past tense 'flied' is used almost exclusively in AmE baseball for hitting a fly ball. The phrasal verb 'fly into a rage' is slightly more common in BrE.
Connotations
Similar in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] flies[NP] flies [NP][NP] flies [ADVP][NP] is flownVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “fly in the ointment”
- “on the fly”
- “fly by the seat of one's pants”
- “fly the coop”
- “as the crow flies”
- “time flies”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
We need to fly in the consultant for the meeting.
Academic
The hypothesis did not fly with the peer reviewers.
Everyday
I'll fly to Glasgow next week.
Technical
The aircraft is designed to fly at supersonic speeds.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- There's a fly in my soup!
- He zipped up his fly.
- We pitched the tent and secured the fly.
American English
- I caught a large fly for bait.
- Your fly is open.
- The rain fly is essential for the tent.
verb
British English
- The birds will fly south for the winter.
- She's learning to fly a helicopter.
- The chairman flew into a fury.
American English
- We're flying to Denver tomorrow.
- He flied out to center field.
- The idea just didn't fly with the committee.
adjective
British English
- He's a fly operator, always one step ahead.
- (Rare) The fly pitcher sold fake goods.
American English
- That was a fly move on the basketball court.
- (Slang) She's a fly girl.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Birds can fly.
- I want to fly a kite.
- We saw a fly on the wall.
- She flies to Madrid once a month for work.
- The pilot will fly the new Airbus.
- Time flies when you're having fun!
- The company's shares are flying high after the takeover.
- His temper flew and he shouted at the team.
- They decided to fly the flag at half-mast.
- The new policy flies in the face of all established precedent.
- The director has a reputation for flying by the seat of his pants.
- Critics accused the minister of flying a kite to test public opinion.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FLYing pie – a pie with wings, flying through the sky. 'FLY' sounds like the insect, which also flies.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUCCESS IS UP/FLYING (e.g., 'the company is flying high'); TIME IS A MOVING OBJECT/FLYING (e.g., 'time flies'); ESCAPE IS FLYING AWAY (e.g., 'let's fly').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Confusing the verb 'fly' (летать) with the noun 'fly' (муха).
- Using 'fly' transitively incorrectly (e.g., 'I will fly you' vs. 'I will fly *with* you').
- Overusing 'fly' for all air travel instead of more specific verbs like 'take off', 'pilot', or 'soar'.
Common Mistakes
- *I flied to Paris. (Correct: I flew to Paris.)
- *Birds fly in the sky. (Redundant: Birds fly.)
- *He made the paper to fly. (Correct: He made the paper fly.)
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the past tense 'flied' considered correct?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The past tense is 'flew' (e.g., The bird flew away). The past participle is 'flown' (e.g., I have flown many times). The form 'flied' is only used in baseball (e.g., He flied out to left field).
It is an irregular verb: fly - flew - flown.
'Fly' primarily means moving through the air. 'Flee' means to run away from danger or a threat. While 'fly' can be used metaphorically for a quick escape, 'flee' is more specifically about escape.
Yes, it has several noun meanings: 1) the insect (a housefly), 2) the opening on trousers/pants (zip fly), 3) a flap of material (tent fly), 4) a type of fishing lure (an artificial fly).
Collections
Part of a collection
Transport
A2 · 48 words · Ways of getting from place to place.