flirt

1 of 2

verb

ˈflərt 

flirted; flirting; flirts

intransitive verb

1

: to move erratically : flit

butterflies flirting among the flowers

2

a

: to behave amorously without serious intent

He flirts with every attractive woman he meets.

b

: to show superficial or casual interest or liking

flirted with the idea

also : experiment

a novelist flirting with poetry

3

: to come close to reaching or experiencing something

—used with with

flirting with disaster

transitive verb

1

: flick

They flirt water at each other's faces.

2

: to move in a jerky manner

a bird flirting its tail

flirtation

ˌflər-ˈtā-shən 

noun

flirter noun

flirty

ˈflər-tē 

adjective

flirt

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act or instance of flirting

2

: a person who flirts

Synonyms

Verb

• coquet
• coquette
• dally
• frivol
• mess around
• toy
• trifle

Noun

• flirter
• wanton

Choose the Right Synonym for flirt

trifle, toy, dally, flirt, coquet mean to deal with or act toward without serious purpose.

trifle may imply playfulness, unconcern, indulgent contempt.

to trifle with a lover's feelings

toy implies acting without full attention or serious exertion of one's powers.

a political novice toying with great issues

dally suggests indulging in thoughts or plans merely as an amusement.

dallying with the idea of building a boat someday

flirt implies an interest or attention that soon passes to another object.

flirted with one fashionable ism after another

coquet implies attracting interest or admiration without serious intention.

companies that coquet with environmentalism solely for public relations

Examples of flirt in a Sentence

Verb

They were flirting all night.

the servers at that restaurant flirt with all the customers

Noun

he's just a harmless flirt, so don't take him seriously

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

There were other baby steps this season, including Jimmy flirting with Sofi (Cobie Smulders) after buying her used car. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 24 Dec. 2024

Musk had flirted with the party previously, expressing confusion in June as to why it was considered controversial. —Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 Dec. 2024

Noun

Polite flirts often focus on building a connection slowly, ensuring that their behavior aligns with social norms and avoids any form of inappropriate advances. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024

And as if there weren’t enough walls closing around him, Jadis appears, flirts with Rick, and ensures that Michonne sees it. —Leah Marilla Thomas, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1566, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

flirt

1 of 2 verb

ˈflərt 

1

: to show a liking for someone of the opposite sex just for fun

2

: toy entry 2

flirted with the idea

flirtation

ˌflər-ˈtā-shən 

noun

flirtatious

-shəs

adjective

flirtatiousness noun

flirter

ˈflərt-ər

noun

flirt

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of flirting

2

: a person who flirts a lot