What does flying mean?
Flying denotes the act of moving through the air, whether by wings, as birds and insects do, or by aircraft, as modern travelers do. It appears most often as the present participle and gerund of the verb "fly", capturing motion in progress — "we were flying over the Alps" — but it also works as an attributive adjective marking anything connected with flight or speed, as in flying buttress, flying fish, or flying saucer. Its idioms are especially vivid: a "flying visit" is a brief, rushed trip, a "flying start" means rapid early momentum, and passing an exam "with flying colours" indicates outstanding success, a phrase inherited from naval tradition. Connotations of swiftness, freedom, and escape cling to the word, which is why writers reach for it when evoking exhilaration or haste. Rooted in Old English "flēogan", it remains one of the most versatile words in the vocabulary of movement.
The action or practice of moving through the air, especially by aircraft; the gerund of "fly" treated as a noun.
"Flying was still a novelty for most people in the 1950s."
Almost always a gerund; it does not take a conventional plural.
Relating to, designed for, or occurring in flight; moving rapidly or briefly through space.
"The cathedral's flying buttresses distribute the weight of the vault outward."
Attributive use only — "flying" precedes the noun it modifies.
Present participle of "fly": to move through the air under one's own power or that of an aircraft.
"The geese were flying south ahead of the cold snap."
The phrase "with flying colours" dates from the 1700s, when a warship returning victorious sailed into port with all its flags — its 'colours' — still proudly flying.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flying
Flying derives from the Old English verb "flēogan", itself from the Proto-Germanic root *fleuganą, the source of the whole family of English flight words including fly, flight, and flyer. The word has kept its core meaning of aerial motion continuously across more than a millennium of English, gaining its rich adjective use — as in flying buttress and flying colours — during the medieval and early modern periods. Its Germanic cognates include Dutch vliegen and German fliegen, both preserving the same ancestral sense of winged motion.
Related word forms
How flying is actually used
As an attributive adjective, "flying" often carries connotations of speed, impermanence, or lightness — a "flying visit" implies a very short stay, while a "flying start" suggests swift early progress. The idiom "pass with flying colours" signals emphatic success. In formal writing, "flying" functions chiefly as a gerund or participle; standalone noun uses beyond the gerund are rare.
Easily confused with flying
"Flight" names a single act or journey of flying (or fleeing), while "flying" refers to the ongoing activity or serves as an adjective describing things related to air travel.