What does “fly” mean?
- 1
verbto move through the air using wings or an aircraft
We’re flying to Mexico next week.
- 2
verbto control an aircraft
She learned to fly a plane at age 20.
- 3
nouna small insect with two wings
There’s a fly in my soup!
Fly at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb & noun
- CEFR level
- A1 (beginner)
- Pronunciation
- /flaɪ/ · FLY
- Forms
- flew, flown, flies
How to use “fly” correctly
“Time flies” means time passes very quickly. The noun for a trip by plane is “flight”, not “fly”.
Common phrases with “fly”
- fly to
- time flies
- fly a kite
- fly away
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Word family
- flight
- flyer
Idioms with “fly”
- When pigs fly: Never; used to say something will not happen.
“fly” is on these word lists
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- close verbA1to shut something, or to stop being open
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