flier

noun

fli·​er ˈflī(-ə)r 

variants or less commonly flyer

1

: one that flies

She's a frequent flier on that airline.

specifically : airman

He was a flier on an aircraft carrier.

2

: a reckless or speculative venture

—usually used in the phrase take a flier

He took a flier in politics soon after getting his degree.

3

usually flyer : an advertising circular

Flyers announcing the concert were distributed throughout the city.

Synonyms

• adventure
• chance
• crapshoot
• enterprise
• flutter [chiefly British]
• gamble
• speculation
• throw
• venture

Examples of flier in a Sentence

These birds are graceful fliers.

They distributed flyers announcing the concert throughout the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

Like Irving, etc., Tracy was a terrific late-round flier in case Singletary fell on his face (which happened). —Jake Ciely, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

Bottom Line The good news is that air travel has recovered from COVID and carries billions of leisure and business fliers around the world in relative safety. —Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

Access to first and business class, once almost exclusively reserved for big spenders or as a perk for frequent fliers, is now open to a growing number of travelers willing to bid for an upgrade, spend loyalty points or shell out extra cash. —Debra Kamin, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

But Musk wasn’t the top celebrity flier, according to CEO Today Magazine. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flier

• frequent-flier
• take a flier

Kids Definition

flier

noun

fli·​er

variants also flyer

ˈflī(-ə)r

1

: one that flies

especially : pilot entry 1 sense 3

2

: an undertaking (as in business) that involves much risk

3

: an advertising circular