flying

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈflaɪ.ɪŋ/ See IPA manual

Freq #1391

Meanings

1

adj
Able to fly or moving through the air.

A flying insect buzzed around the room.
2

noun
The activity of travelling by plane.

Flying was still an exciting adventure for him.
3

adj
Very short and hurried.

She paid a flying visit to her parents on her way home.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · the activity of travelling... flight

3 adj · very short and hurried. fast

Word family

Derived forms dayflyingflubberflyinglyfree-flyinghigh-flyingkiteflyingnon-flyingnonflyingparaflyingsailflyingunflying

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

flying saucer
an unidentified object in the sky described as resembling a flat round dish

Adjective + noun

Tongue twisters (1)

See all

Freshly Dried Flying Fish
Flesh of freshly dried flying fish.

Move between /fl/ in flesh and flying and /fɹ/ in freshly. Keep the /ʃ/ endings of flesh and fish distinct from the /f/ beginnings.

Etymology

From Middle English fleynge, fleeʒinge, flihinde, vlyinde, vleoinde, flyand, ffleghand, flighand (also fleoninde, fleonninde, etc.), from Old English flēogende, from Proto-Germanic *fleugandz (“flying”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *fleuganą (“to fly”), equivalent to fly + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian fljoogend (“flying”), West Frisian fleanend (“flying”), Dutch vliegend (“flying”), German Low German flegend (“flying”), German fliegend (“flying”), Danish flyvende (“flying”), Swedish flygande (“flying”), Icelandic fljúgandi (“flying”).

fleynge Middle English flēogende Old English *fleugandz Proto-Germanic *fleuganą Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# flying

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈflaɪ.ɪŋ/
**Frequency rank:** 1391

## Meanings
1. Able to fly or moving through the air.
2. The activity of travelling by plane.
3. Very short and hurried.

## Examples
- A flying insect buzzed around the room.
- Flying was still an exciting adventure for him.
- She paid a flying visit to her parents on her way home.

## Derived Forms
- dayflying
- flubber
- flyingly
- free-flying
- high-flying
- kiteflying
- non-flying
- nonflying
- paraflying
- sailflying
- unflying

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: fleynge
- Root: flēogende
- Root: *fleugandz
- Root: *fleuganą

## Etymology
From Middle English fleynge, fleeʒinge, flihinde, vlyinde, vleoinde, flyand, ffleghand, flighand (also fleoninde, fleonninde, etc.), from Old English flēogende, from Proto-Germanic *fleugandz (“flying”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *fleuganą (“to fly”), equivalent to fly + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian fljoogend (“flying”), West Frisian fleanend (“flying”), Dutch vliegend (“flying”), German Low German flegend (“flying”), German fliegend (“flying”), Danish flyvende (“flying”), Swedish flygande (“flying”), Icelandic fljúgandi (“flying”).

## AI Etymology
Flying comes from Middle English fleynge, fleeʒinge, flihinde, vlyinde, vleoinde, flyand, ffleghand, flighand (also fleoninde, fleonninde, etc.), from Old English flēogende, from Proto-Germanic *fleugandz (“flying”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *fleuganą (“to fly”), equivalent to fly + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian fljoogend (“flying”), West Frisian fleanend (“flying”), Dutch vliegend (“flying”), German Low German flegend (“flying”), German fliegend (“flying”), Danish flyvende (“flying”), Swedish flygande (“flying”), Icelandic fljúgandi (“flying”). The historical chain includes fleynge (Middle English), flēogende (Old English), *fleugandz (Proto-Germanic), and *fleuganą (Proto-Germanic). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as dayflying, flubber, flyingly, and free-flying. In present use it covers able to fly or moving through the air, the activity of travelling by plane, and very short and hurried.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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