What does "flit" mean?
A fluttering or darting movement.
Flit
/flɪt/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A fluttering or darting movement.
- Grammar: flit is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: dart, advance, aeroplane, air speed.
- Useful contrasts: dwell, linger, remain.
- Usage evidence: The watchers from the plain below could see them flit from rock to rock until their figures stood out against the skyline.
How to use "flit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "flit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "flit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "flit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "flit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "flit" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dart" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "flit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A fluttering or darting movement.
- 2 A flow control unit or flow control digit.
"header flit"
- 3 a secret move (to avoid paying debts) wordnet
- 4 A sudden departure from a property.
"I did a flit, as the landlord was due to arrive to collect the rent."
- 5 a sudden quick movement wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A particular, unexpected, short lived change of state.
"My computer just had a flit."
- 7 A homosexual. dated, slang
"The other end of the bar was full of flits. They weren't too flitty-looking—I mean they didn't have their hair too long or anything—but you could tell they were flits anyway."
Verb
- 1 To move about rapidly and nimbly.
"A shadow flits before me, / Not thou, but like to thee; […]"
- 2 move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart wordnet
- 3 To move quickly from one location to another.
"By their means it became a received opinion, that the souls of men departing this life, do flit out of one body into some other."
- 4 To unpredictably change state for short periods of time.
"My blender flits because the power cord is damaged."
- 5 To move house (sometimes a sudden move to avoid debts). UK, dialectal
"After this manner did the late Warden of Barchester Hospital accomplish his flitting, and change his residence."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To move a tethered animal to a new grazing location.
- 7 To be unstable; to be easily or often moved.
"the free soul to flitting air resign'd"
Adjective
- 1 Fast, nimble. obsolete, poetic
"And in his hand two darts exceeding flit, / And deadly sharpe he held [...]."
Example
"The watchers from the plain below could see them flit from rock to rock until their figures stood out against the skyline."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "flit"?
Common synonyms include: dart, advance, aeroplane, air speed, airlift, airplane.
How do you use "flit" in a sentence?
The watchers from the plain below could see them flit from rock to rock until their figures stood out against the skyline.
How do you pronounce "flit"?
Pronounced /flɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English flitten, flytten, from Old Norse flytja (“to move”), from Proto-Germanic *flutjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd- (“to flow; run”). Cognate Icelandic flytja, Swedish flytta, Danish flytte, Norwegian flytte, Faroese flyta. Compare also Saterland Frisian flitskje (“to rush; run quickly”).
Etymology 2
Short for fl(ow control un)it or fl(ow control dig)it.