What does flirting mean?
Flirting is playful, often light-hearted behaviour that signals romantic or sexual interest without making a serious commitment. It may involve teasing remarks, eye contact, banter, or small gestures exchanged between people who are attracted to each other, and it usually stops short of explicit declaration. The word also has a well-established figurative sense: someone may be said to be 'flirting with' an idea, a danger, or a lifestyle, meaning they are dabbling in it without full commitment — as in 'flirting with disaster'. Connotations vary with context: flirting can suggest charm, fun, and mutual enjoyment, but unwanted flirting is unwelcome and may be considered harassment. Derived forms include the verb 'flirt', the noun 'flirtation', and the adjective 'flirtatious', all of which are common in everyday English.
The action of behaving playfully toward someone one is romantically attracted to, without serious intent; also, figuratively, casual or superficial engagement with an idea or risk.
"A bit of harmless flirting at the office party never hurt anyone."
Often used with modifiers such as 'harmless', 'innocent', or 'playful'; the figurative sense typically pairs with words like 'danger' or 'disaster'.
Present participle of 'flirt': to behave as though romantically attracted to someone playfully rather than with serious intent; to dabble superficially in something.
"He was flirting with the idea of moving abroad for a year."
The verb 'flirt' first appeared in English in the sixteenth century meaning 'to jerk or flick suddenly' — romantic flirting came later, borrowing the image of a sudden, darting motion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flirting
The verb 'flirt' entered English in the sixteenth century, originally meaning to make a sudden jerking or flicking movement, and by the seventeenth century it had developed its sense of playing at romance. Its further origin is uncertain, though some scholars have connected it to French expressions such as 'conter fleurette' (literally 'to tell little flowers', meaning to speak sweet nothings). The gerund noun 'flirting' follows directly from this verb, and the family later expanded with 'flirtation' and 'flirtatious'.
Related word forms
How flirting is actually used
Flirting is neutral-to-playful in register and appears widely in informal and everyday speech; the second sense, applied to ideas or risks, is figurative and often carries a hint of danger or recklessness ('flirting with danger'). Whether behaviour counts as harmless or inappropriate flirting depends heavily on context and consent.