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

Frequent fliers and summer vacation hopefuls have been rushing to get one squared away before the nationwide travel mandate goes into effect. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2025

The company that operated that flight was later cited for unsafe conditions, including a faulty passenger-restraint system that prevented fliers from escaping when the craft plunged into the East River. —Barbara Peterson, AFAR Media, 21 Apr. 2025

The fliers came from his collection and from those of graphic artists around the world including Lee Major, Muscle, Mark Professor and Stanjah. —C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025

Go wherever that is with business cards and/or fliers that have a link to your online profile. —Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flier

• frequent-flier
• take a flier

Rhymes for flier

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flyer
• friar
• frier

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