flirt

verb

/flɜːt/

/flɜːrt/

[intransitive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they flirt	/flɜːt/ /flɜːrt/
he / she / it flirts	/flɜːts/ /flɜːrts/
past simple flirted	/ˈflɜːtɪd/ /ˈflɜːrtɪd/
past participle flirted	/ˈflɜːtɪd/ /ˈflɜːrtɪd/
-ing form flirting	/ˈflɜːtɪŋ/ /ˈflɜːrtɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

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flirt (with somebody) to behave towards somebody as if you find them sexually attractive, without seriously wanting to have a relationship with them
- He flirts outrageously with his female clients.
Topics Family and relationshipsc1
Word Originmid 16th cent.: apparently symbolic, the elements fl- and -irt both suggesting sudden movement; compare with flick and spurt. The original verb senses were ‘give someone a sharp blow’ and ‘sneer at’; the earliest noun senses were ‘joke, jibe’ and ‘flighty girl’ (defined by Dr Johnson as ‘a pert young hussey’), with a notion originally of cheeky behaviour, later of playfully amorous behaviour.

noun

/flɜːt/

/flɜːrt/

[usually singular]

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a person who flirts with a lot of people
- She's a real flirt.
Topics Family and relationshipsc1
Word Originmid 16th cent.: apparently symbolic, the elements fl- and -irt both suggesting sudden movement; compare with flick and spurt. The original verb senses were ‘give someone a sharp blow’ and ‘sneer at’; the earliest noun senses were ‘joke, jibe’ and ‘flighty girl’ (defined by Dr Johnson as ‘a pert young hussey’), with a notion originally of cheeky behaviour, later of playfully amorous behaviour.