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verb Common

flew

floo
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Flew (verb) means past tense of fly: moved through the air. Example: “A flock of geese flew south as the weather turned cold.”

verb
1
Past tense of fly: moved through the air.
"A flock of geese flew south as the weather turned cold."
"The plane flew over the mountains just before sunset."
"She flew into a rage when she heard the news."

How to use flew

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe simple past tense of "fly" — used for both literal flight and figurative senses like "flew into a rage" or "time flew by."

Easily confused with
flu →
Common pairings
flew home flew into a rage time flew by
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Word forms

Plural
flews
Comparative
more flew
Superlative
most flew
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

A flock of geese _____ south as the weather turned cold.

Etymology

Came into English via Middle English flew, flow, from Old English flēag, flug-, from Proto-Germanic *flaug, *flug-, the past tense forms of Proto-Germanic *fleuganą ("to fly"). Compare Saterland Frisian flooch ("flew"), West Frisian fleach ("flew"), Dutch vloog ("flew"), German flog ("flew"), Danish fløj ("flew"), Swedish flög ("flew") and Icelandic flaug ("flew").

Origin: Middle English

Synonyms

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soared glided winged sailed zoomed darted

Related words

flying sailed winged

Rhymes for flew

Lew slew Blew
See all rhymes for flew →

Frequently asked questions

What does “flew” mean?
The word “flew” means past tense of fly: moved through the air. In plain terms, the simple past tense of "fly" — used for both literal flight and figurative senses like "flew into a rage" or "time flew by.".
How do you pronounce “flew”?
“Flew” is pronounced floo (/fluː/ in IPA).
How do you use “flew” in a sentence?
Here is “flew” used in a sentence: “The plane flew over the mountains just before sunset.”
What part of speech is “flew”?
“Flew” is a verb.
Is “flew” a common word?
“Flew” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between "flew" and "flown"?
"Flew" is the simple past tense of fly and stands alone, as in "the bird flew away." "Flown" is the past participle and needs a helping verb such as have, has, or had, as in "the bird has flown away."
Is it "flew" or "flied"?
For the ordinary meaning of moving through the air, the past tense is "flew," because fly is an irregular verb. "Flied" is used only in baseball, as in "he flied out to left field," and never for actual flight.
When do you use "flew" instead of "flow"?
"Flew" is the past tense of fly and refers to movement through the air. "Flow" is a different verb meaning to move steadily like a liquid, so the two are not interchangeable despite sounding similar.
Can "flew" be used figuratively?
Yes. Beyond literal flight, "flew" often describes moving very fast or time passing quickly, as in "she flew down the stairs" or "the afternoon flew by."

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