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Flighty: meaning, definitions and examples

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flighty

 

[ ˈflaɪti ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

personality trait

Flighty describes a person who is capricious, irresponsible, or prone to changes of thought and mood. Such individuals often seem unreliable or scatterbrained, frequently changing their plans or emotions without warning.

Synonyms

capricious, changesome, erratic, fickle

Examples of usage

  • She's a flighty artist who can't stick to one project.
  • His flighty nature makes it hard for him to commit.
  • I find her flighty behavior quite amusing.
  • They were seen as flighty and untrustworthy friends.

Translations

Translations of the word "flighty" in other languages:

🇵🇹 volúvel

🇮🇳 उड़ती हुई

🇩🇪 flüchtig

🇮🇩 terbang

🇺🇦 летючий

🇵🇱 lotny

🇯🇵 飛び回る

🇫🇷 volage

🇪🇸 volátil

🇹🇷 uçucu

🇰🇷 날아다니는

🇸🇦 طائر

🇨🇿 létající

🇸🇰 lietajúci

🇨🇳 多变的

🇸🇮 letaški

🇮🇸 fljúgandi

🇰🇿 ұшқалақ

🇬🇪 ფრინველი

🇦🇿 uçucu

🇲🇽 volátil

Etymology

The word 'flighty' originates from the adjective 'flight', which has its roots in Old English 'flyht', meaning 'a flying or flight'. The term 'flighty' developed in the 19th century, initially conveying a sense of being fleeting or transitory. Over time, it evolved to describe someone with quick, sudden changes in mood or decisions, reflective of a certain irresponsibility. This development mirrors the nature of flight, suggesting a lack of stability, as something that flies is often hard to catch or hold on to. The association with capriciousness became more pronounced in the 20th century, and the word remains in common usage today, typically to describe whimsical or unpredictable personality traits.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #30,253 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.