# flying

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈflaɪ.ɪŋ/ · frequency rank #1,997

## Definitions
1. That flies or can fly.
2. Brief or hurried.
3. Capable of moving rapidly; highly mobile.
4. Not secured by yards.
5. Capable of foiling.
6. Designating a cattle brand consisting of a letter extended on both sides with tilde-like curved lines.

## 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”).

## Easily confused with
- **Flynn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flying-vs-flynn)
- **frying** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flying-vs-frying)
- **fuming** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flying-vs-fuming)
- **fusing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flying-vs-fusing)
- **folding** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flying-vs-folding)
- **flint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flint-vs-flying)
- **fling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fling-vs-flying)
- **flung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flung-vs-flying)
- **facing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/facing-vs-flying)
- **firing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/firing-vs-flying)
- **fixing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fixing-vs-flying)
- **filing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/filing-vs-flying)
- **fading** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fading-vs-flying)
- **faking** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/faking-vs-flying)
- **faring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/faring-vs-flying)
- **falling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/falling-vs-flying)
- **filling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/filling-vs-flying)
- **filming** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/filming-vs-flying)
- **flowing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flowing-vs-flying)
- **fleeing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fleeing-vs-flying)

## Common misspellings (10)
`fflying`, `fliyng`, `fllying`, `flyign`, `flyingg`, `flyinng`, `flynig`, `flyying`, `fyling`, `lfying`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/flying