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⇱ fly high - WordReference.com Dictionary of English


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
fly1 /flaɪ/USA pronunciation   v., flew /flu/USA pronunciation  or, for 11., flied, flown/floʊn/,USA pronunciation  fly•ing, n., pl. flies. 
v. 
  1. to move through the air using wings:[no object]Outside the birds were flying.
  2. to be carried or move through the air or through space by any force or agency:[no object]The jet can fly at the speed of sound.
  3. Aeronautics to travel in an aircraft or spacecraft:[no object]The family flew to California.
  4. Aeronauticsto operate an aircraft or spacecraft: [no object]The pilot flew to Hawaii.[~ + object]The pilot flew a variety of aircraft.
  5. Aeronautics, Aerospace to operate an aircraft or spacecraft over (an area):[~ + object]to fly the Pacific.
  6. Aeronautics to transport or convey by air:[~ + object]The army flew him to its secret base.
  7. to (cause to) float or flutter in the air: [no object]The king's banner flew over his tent.[~ + object]He tried to fly his kite.
  8. to pass swiftly:[no object]How time flies!
  9. to move with often sudden swiftness:[no object]cars flying by us; flew into a rage.
  10. to flee;
    escape:[no object]He was warned to fly from the sheriff's wrath.
  11. Sport to bat a fly ball in baseball:[no object]The last hitter flied to right field.
  12. Informal Termsto be believable or feasible:[no object]It seemed like a good idea, but it just wouldn't fly.
  13. fly at, [~ + at + object] to attack suddenly:flew at him and scratched his face.

n. [countable]
  1. Clothinga fold of material that conceals fasteners in a garment opening.
  2. a flap forming the door of a tent.
  3. Sportfly ball.
Idioms
  1. Idioms fly high, [no obj] to be full of happiness or excitement:The workers were all flying high until the bad news arrived.
  2. Idioms fly in the face or teeth of, [ ~ + obj] to act in defiance of:to fly in the face of tradition.
  3. Idioms fly off the handle, [no obj][Informal.]to become very angry, esp. without warning.
  4. Idioms let fly:
    • to hurl or propel (an object): [no object]let fly with several snowballs.[let + ~ + object]She let fly a few snowballs.
    • [no object] to let one's anger out:let fly with an insult.
  5. Idioms on the fly, hurriedly:We had dinner on the fly.


fly2 /flaɪ/USA pronunciation   n. [countable], pl. flies. 
  1. Insectsa two-winged insect, such as the common housefly.
  2. Sporta fishing lure dressed to resemble an insect or small fish.
Idioms
  1. Idioms fly in the ointment, something that spoils an otherwise pleasant thing:The fly in the ointment is that there is no money to finish the job.


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
high /haɪ/USA pronunciation   adj. andadv., -er, -est, n. 
adj. 
  1. (of things) having a considerable height;
    tall;
    lofty:a high wall.
  2. (of things) having a specified height:The tree is 20 feet high.
  3. located above the ground;
    elevated:a high ledge.
  4. greater than or going beyond the usual degree, measure, or amount:high speed; high prices.
  5. honorable;
    worthy of being admired;
    good:high moral principles.
  6. exalted or important, as in rank, station, or eminence:a high government official.
  7. of great consequence;
    grave:guilty of high treason.
  8. Music and Danceelevated in pitch:high notes.
  9. extending to or from an elevation:a high dive.
  10. extravagant;
    luxurious:[before a noun]living the high life.
  11. merry;
    happy:They were in high spirits.
  12. [be + ~] intoxicated, drunk, or under the influence of alcohol or narcotic drugs.
  13. complicated;
    advanced:[before a noun]an expert in high finance.
  14. Automotiverelating to or being the gear of a transmission at which the drive shaft speed and the speed of the engine crankshaft correspond most closely.

adv. 
  1. at or to a high point, place, or level:The hawk was circling high above the field.
  2. richly;
    luxuriously;
    extravagantly:to live high.

n. 
  1. Automotive[uncountable] the high gear of a transmission.
  2. Meteorology[countable] an atmospheric pressure system having relatively high pressure at its center.
  3. a high or the highest point, place, or level;
    peak:[countable]a record high for unemployment.
  4. Slang Terms[countable]
    • an intoxicated state caused by alcohol or narcotic drugs:on a high from the drug.
    • a period of sustained excitement:They've been on a high ever since their engagement.
Idioms
  1. Nautical, Idioms high and dry, deserted;
    stranded;
    left alone:was left high and dry without money or friends.
  2. Idioms high and low, in every possible place:to search high and low.
  3. Idioms high on, [be + ~] enthusiastic about:We're very high on the new executive we hired.
  4. high time, [~ + (that) clause] a time or moment that is nearly too late:It's high time (that) he got out of bed.
  5. Idioms on high:
    • above:looking down from on high.
    • in heaven.


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
fly1  (flī),USA pronunciation v., flew or, for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly•ing, n., pl. flies. 
v.i. 
  1. to move through the air using wings.
  2. to be carried through the air by the wind or any other force or agency:bits of paper flying about.
  3. to float or flutter in the air:flags flying in the breeze.
  4. to travel in an aircraft or spacecraft.
  5. to move suddenly and quickly;
    start unexpectedly:He flew from the room.
  6. to change rapidly and unexpectedly from one state or position to another:The door flew open.
  7. to flee;
    escape.
  8. to travel in space:The probe will fly past the planet.
  9. to move or pass swiftly:How time flies!
  10. to move with an aggressive surge:A mother fox will fly at anyone approaching her kits.
  11. [Baseball.]
    • to bat a fly ball:He flied into right field.
    • to fly out.
  12. [Informal.]to be acceptable, believable, or feasible:It seemed like a good idea, but it just wouldn't fly.

v.t. 
  1. to make (something) float or move through the air:to fly a kite.
  2. to operate (an aircraft, spacecraft, or the like).
  3. to hoist aloft, as for display, signaling, etc.:to fly a flag.
  4. to operate an aircraft or spacecraft over:to fly the Pacific.
  5. to transport or convey by air:We fly merchandise to Boston.
  6. to escape from;
    flee:to fly someone's wrath.
  7. [Theat.]
    • to hang (scenery) above a stage by means of rigging supported by the gridiron.
    • to raise (scenery) from the stage or acting area into the flies.
  8. fly blind. See blind (def. 33).
  9. fly in the face of, to act in defiance of (authority, custom, etc.). Also, fly in the teeth of. 
  10. fly off the handle. See handle (def. 8).
  11. fly out, [Baseball, Softball.]to be put out by hitting a fly ball that is caught by a player of the opposing team.
  12. go fly a kite, [Slang.]
    • to put up with or get used to matters as they stand.
    • to confine oneself to one's own affairs.
    • to cease being a nuisance:If she gets mad enough she'll tell me to go fly a kite.
  13. let fly:
    • to hurl or propel (a weapon, missile, etc.).
    • to give free rein to an emotion:She let fly with a barrage of angry words.

n. 
  1. a strip of material sewn along one edge of a garment opening for concealing buttons, zippers, or other fasteners.
  2. a flap forming the door of a tent.
  3. Also called tent fly. a piece of canvas extending over the ridgepole of a tent and forming an outer roof.
  4. an act of flying;
    a flight.
  5. the course of a flying object, as a ball.
  6. [Baseball.]See fly ball. 
  7. [Brit.]a light, covered, public carriage drawn by one horse;
    hansom;
    hackney coach.
  8. [Mach.]a horizontal arm, weighted at each end, that pivots about the screw of a press so that when the screw is lowered the momentum of the fly will increase the force of the press.
  9. Also called fan. [Horol.]a regulating device for chime and striking mechanisms, consisting of an arrangement of vanes on a revolving axis.
  10. [Print.]
    • (in some presses) the apparatus for removing the printed sheets to the delivery table.
    • Also called flyboy. (formerly) a printer's devil employed to remove printed sheets from a press.
  11. (on a flag)
    • the horizontal dimension of a flag as flown from a vertical staff.
    • the end of the flag farther from the staff. Cf. hoist (def. 8).
  12. flies. Also called fly loft. [Theat.]the space above the stage used chiefly for storing scenery and equipment.
  13. [Naut.]a propellerlike device streamed to rotate and transfer information on speed to a mechanical log.
  14. on the fly:
    • during flight;
      before falling to the ground:to catch a baseball on the fly.
    • hurriedly;
      without pausing:We had dinner on the fly.
  • bef. 900; Middle English flīen, Old English flēogan; cognate with Old High German fliogan, German fliegen, Old Norse fljuga
fly′a•ble, adj. 
fly′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
    1. Fly, flit, flutter, hover, soar refer to moving through the air as on wings. Fly is the general term:Birds fly. Airplanes fly.To flit is to make short rapid flights from place to place:A bird flits from tree to tree.To flutter is to agitate the wings tremulously, either without flying or in flying only short distances:A young bird flutters out of a nest and in again.To hover is to linger in the air, or to move over or about something within a narrow area or space:hovering clouds; a hummingbird hovering over a blossom.To soar is to (start to) fly upward to a great height usually with little advance in any other direction, or else to (continue to) fly at a lofty height without visible movement of the wings:Above our heads an eagle was soaring.
fly2  (flī),USA pronunciation n., pl. flies. 
  1. InsectsAlso called true fly. any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, esp. of the family Muscidae, as the common housefly.
  2. Insectsany of various winged insects, as the mayfly or firefly.
  3. [Angling.]a fishhook dressed with hair, feathers, silk, tinsel, etc., so as to resemble an insect or small fish, for use as a lure or bait.
  4. Astronomy(cap.) the constellation Musca.
  5. Idioms fly in the ointment, a detrimental factor;
    detraction:If there's one fly in the ointment, it's that there may not be the money to finish the job.
  • bef. 950; Middle English flīe, Old English flēoge, flȳge; cognate with Middle Dutch vliege (Dutch vlieg), Old High German flioga (German Fliege); akin to fly1
fly′less, adj. 

fly3  (flī),USA pronunciation adj. [Brit. Informal.]
  1. British Termsclever;
    keen;
    ingenious.
  2. British Termsagile;
    nimble.
  • perh. special use of fly1 1805–15

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
high  (hī),USA pronunciation adj., -er, -est, adv., -er, -est, n. 
adj. 
  1. having a great or considerable extent or reach upward or vertically;
    lofty;
    tall:a high wall.
  2. having a specified extent upward:The apple tree is now 20 feet high.
  3. situated above the ground or some base;
    elevated:a high platform; a high ledge.
  4. exceeding the common degree or measure;
    strong;
    intense:high speed; high color.
  5. expensive;
    costly;
    dear:The price of food these days is much too high.
  6. exalted in rank, station, eminence, etc.;
    of exalted character or quality:a high official; high society.
  7. Music and Dance
    • acute in pitch.
    • a little sharp, or above the desired pitch.
  8. Zoologyproduced by relatively rapid vibrations;
    shrill:the high sounds of crickets.
  9. extending to or from an elevation:a high dive.
  10. great in quantity, as number, degree, or force:a high temperature; high cholesterol.
  11. [Relig.]
    • Religionchief;
      principal;
      main:the high altar of a church.
    • ReligionHigh Church.
  12. of great consequence;
    important;
    grave;
    serious;
    the high consequences of such a deed;
    high treason.
  13. haughty;
    arrogant:He took a high tone with his subordinates.
  14. advanced to the utmost extent or to the culmination:high tide.
  15. elevated;
    merry or hilarious:high spirits; a high old time.
  16. rich;
    extravagant;
    luxurious:They have indulged in high living for years.
  17. Informal Termsintoxicated with alcohol or narcotics:He was so high he couldn't stand up.
  18. remote:high latitude; high antiquity.
  19. extreme in opinion or doctrine, esp. religious or political:a high Tory.
  20. designating or pertaining to highland or inland regions.
  21. having considerable energy or potential power.
  22. Automotiveof, pertaining to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the speed of the engine crankshaft and of the drive shaft most closely correspond:high gear.
  23. Phonetics(of a vowel) articulated with the upper surface of the tongue relatively close to some portion of the palate, as the vowels of eat and it, which are high front, and those of boot and put, which are high back. Cf. close (def. 58), low 1 (def. 30).
  24. Food(of meat, esp. game) tending toward a desirable or undesirable amount of decomposition;
    slightly tainted:He likes his venison high.
  25. Metallurgycontaining a relatively large amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination):high-carbon steel.
  26. Sport[Baseball.](of a pitched ball) crossing the plate at a level above the batter's shoulders:The pitch was high and outside.
  27. [Cards.]
    • Gameshaving greater value than other denominations or suits.
    • Gamesable to take a trick;
      being a winning card.
    • Gamesbeing or having a winning combination:Whose hand is high?
  28. Nautical, Naval Termsnoting a wind of force 10 on the Beaufort scale, equal to a whole gale.
  29. Informal Terms, Idioms high on, enthusiastic or optimistic about;
    having a favorable attitude toward or opinion of.

adv. 
  1. at or to a high point, place, or level.
  2. in or to a high rank or estimate:He aims high in his political ambitions.
  3. at or to a high amount or price.
  4. in or to a high degree.
  5. luxuriously;
    richly;
    extravagantly:They have always lived high.
  6. Nauticalas close to the wind as is possible while making headway with sails full.
  7. Idioms fly high, to be full of hope or elation:His stories began to sell, and he was flying high.
  8. Nautical, Idioms high and dry:
    • Naval Terms(of a ship) grounded so as to be entirely above water at low tide.
    • in a deprived or distressing situation;
      deserted;
      stranded:We missed the last bus and were left high and dry.
  9. Idioms high and low, in every possible place;
    everywhere:The missing jewelry was never found, though we searched high and low for it.

n. 
  1. Automotivehigh gear:He shifted into high when the road became level.
  2. Informal TermsSee high school. 
  3. Meteorologya pressure system characterized by relatively high pressure at its center. Cf. anticyclone, low1 (def. 48).
  4. a high or the highest point, place, or level;
    peak:a record high for unemployment.
  5. Slang Terms
    • a euphoric state induced by alcohol, drugs, etc.
    • a period of sustained excitement, exhilaration, or the like:After winning the lottery he was on a high for weeks.
  6. Games[Cards.]the ace or highest trump out, esp. in games of the all fours family.
  7. Idioms on high:
    • at or to a height;
      above.
    • in heaven.
    • having a high position, as one who makes important decisions:the powers on high.
  • bef. 900; Middle English heigh, variant of hegh, hey, heh, Old English hēah, hēh; cognate with Dutch hoog, Old High German hoh (German hoch), Old Norse hār, Swedish hög, Gothic hauhs, Lithuanian kaũkas swelling, kaukarà hill
    1. High, lofty, tall, towering refer to something that has considerable height. High is a general term, and denotes either extension upward or position at a considerable height:six feet high; a high shelf.Lofty denotes imposing or even inspiring height:lofty crags.Tall is applied either to something that is high in proportion to its breadth, or to anything higher than the average of its kind:a tall tree, building.Towering is applied to something that rises to a great or conspicuous height as compared with something else:a towering mountain. 6. elevated, eminent, prominent, distinguished. 12. capital.
    1. low.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
fly /flaɪ/ vb (flies, flying, flew, flown)
  1. (intransitive) (of birds, aircraft, etc) to move through the air in a controlled manner using aerodynamic forces
  2. to travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft
  3. to operate (an aircraft or spacecraft)
  4. to float, flutter, or be displayed in the air or cause to float, etc, in this way: to fly a kite, they flew the flag
  5. to transport or be transported by or through the air by aircraft, wind, etc
  6. (intransitive) to move or be moved very quickly, forcibly, or suddenly: she came flying towards me, the door flew open
  7. (intransitive) to pass swiftly: time flies
  8. to escape from (an enemy, place, etc); flee
  9. (intransitive; may be followed by at or upon) to attack a person
  10. fly a kite ⇒
    • to procure money by an accommodation bill
    • to release information or take a step in order to test public opinion
  11. fly high ⇒ informal
    • to have a high aim
    • to prosper or flourish
  12. fly the coop ⇒ US Canadian informal to leave suddenly
  13. let fly ⇒ informal
    • to lose one's temper (with a person): she really let fly at him
    • to shoot or throw (an object)
 n ( pl flies)
  1. Also called: fly front (often plural) a closure that conceals a zip, buttons, or other fastening, by having one side overlapping, as on trousers
  2. Also called: flysheet
    • a flap forming the entrance to a tent
    • a piece of canvas drawn over the ridgepole of a tent to form an outer roof
    • the outer edge of a flag
    • the distance from the outer edge of a flag to the staff
  4. Brit a light one-horse covered carriage formerly let out on hire
  5. (plural) the space above the stage out of view of the audience, used for storing scenery, etc
  6. rare the act of flying
Etymology: Old English flēogan; related to Old Frisian fliāga, Old High German fliogan, Old Norse fljūga
ˈflyable adj
fly /flaɪ/ n ( pl flies)
  • any dipterous insect, esp the housefly, characterized by active flight
  • any of various similar but unrelated insects, such as the caddis fly, firefly, dragonfly, and chalcid fly
  • a lure made from a fish-hook dressed with feathers, tinsel, etc, to resemble any of various flies or nymphs: used in fly-fishing
  • fly in the ointment ⇒ informal a slight flaw that detracts from value, completeness, or enjoyment
  • fly on the wall ⇒ a person who watches others, while not being noticed himself or herself
  • there are no flies on me ⇒ informal I am no fool
    • Etymology: Old English flēoge; related to Old Norse fluga Old High German flioga; see fly1ˈflyless adj
    fly /flaɪ/ adj (flyer, flyest) slang
    1. chiefly Brit knowing and sharp; smart
     n
    1. on the fly ⇒ chiefly Scot in secret; sneakily
    Etymology: 19th Century: of uncertain origin
    'fly high' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
    fly - high
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