English Explanatory Dictionary

flee

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To run away; to escape.
  2. To escape from.
  3. To disappear quickly; to vanish; to fleet.

Pronunciation

/ˈfliː/ [ˈflɪi̯] en-us-flee.ogg

Word forms

flee flees fleeing fled fleed

Etymology

From Middle English flen, from Old English flēon, from Proto-West Germanic *fleuhan, from Proto-Germanic *fleuhaną, from Proto-Indo-European *plewk-, *plew- (“to fly, flow, run”). Cognate with Dutch vlieden, German fliehen, Icelandic flýja, Swedish fly, Gothic 𐌸𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌽 (þliuhan). Within English, related to fly and more distantly to flow.

Synonyms

abscond absquatulate amscray beat a retreat beat it beat feet blow this popsicle stand bolt book it dine and dash do a bunk do a flit do a moonlight flit do a runner flee fly the coop jump gas and dash get lost get out gnash head for the hills hightail hightail it hit the road kick rocks leg it make a break for it make a run for it make tracks namous peg it rabbit run a mile run away run for the hills run off scamper scat scarper shemozzle scram skedaddle smash and dash take a powder take flight take off take to one's heels take to the hills tear off turn tail vamoose run for it

Related words

flight flow fly abandon

Derived words

beflee everfleeing fill and flee fleeable fleer outflee unfleeing
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