flighty

adjective

ˈflī-tē How to pronounce flighty (audio)
flightier; flightiest
Synonyms of flighty
1
: lacking stability or steadiness:
a
: easily upset : volatile
a flighty temper
b
: easily excited : skittish
a flighty horse
c
: capricious, silly
2
: swift
flightily
ˈflī-tə-lē How to pronounce flighty (audio)
adverb
flightiness
ˈflī-tē-nəs How to pronounce flighty (audio)
noun

Synonyms of flighty

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Examples of flighty in a Sentence

an actress who specializes in playing silly, flighty women you have to be quiet while the deer are grazing, as they are flighty animals and will run if they hear you
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But wispy flighty sails cannot express devotion to a stone. — Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026 There’s Joanne and her flighty sister Morgan (Justine Lupe). — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 15 June 2026 In order to set that appointment with an increasingly fickle and flighty audience, artists must usually have some story for it. — Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 16 June 2026 Lest he be dismissed as a flighty lefty, Danbank revealed some details about his family’s political history. — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flighty

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of flighty was in 1552

Rhymes for flighty

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Browse Nearby Words

flight-test
flighty
flimflam
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Cite this Entry

“Flighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flighty. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

flighty

adjective
ˈflīt-ē How to pronounce flighty (audio)
flightier; flightiest
1
: easily excited : skittish
flighty horses
2
: silly sense 3, frivolous
flightily
ˈflīt-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce flighty (audio)
adverb
flightiness
ˈflīt-ē-nəs How to pronounce flighty (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on flighty

Nglish: Translation of flighty for Spanish Speakers

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