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

And a carry-on-friendly duffel bag makes a great gift for long-distance BFs and frequent fliers alike. —Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 24 Oct. 2024

One flier showed Democrat Derek Tran, who is running for Congress, smiling in front of the hammer-and-sickle emblem of the Chinese Communist Party. —Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024

Perhaps my eagerness to devour new experiences (as well as my need for cash) compelled me to join the notorious MIT blackjack teams after seeing a flier on campus. —Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024

John Glenn Columbus International Airport once again received a lukewarm rating from fliers, according to J.D. Power's annual ranking of midsize airports. —Alissa Widman Neese, Axios, 3 Oct. 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