What does "flag" mean?

1. (symbolic cloth) a piece of cloth with a special design that represents a country, group, or organization. 2. (a warning or indicator) a sign or signal that shows something needs attention or that a problem exists. 3. (to mark for attention) to mark something so that you or someone else will notice it later. 4. (to signal to stop) to wave at a driver to make them stop their vehicle. 5. (to become tired) to become tired, weak, or less interested in something. 6. (a flat stone) a large, flat stone used for making paths or floors. 7. (a plant) a type of plant with long, sword-shaped leaves, often a kind of iris.

How do you use "flag"?

often used with 'up' in British English commonly used as 'flag down'

flag — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01symbolic cloth

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. a piece of cloth with a special design that represents a country, group, or organization.

n. a piece of fabric, usually rectangular, bearing a distinctive design used as a symbol, signaling device, or emblem of a nation or entity.

“The crowd waved their national flags during the opening ceremony of the games.”

“The protocol for displaying the national flag requires it to be illuminated if flown after sunset.”

Synonyms

banner standard pennant

02a warning or indicator

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a sign or signal that shows something needs attention or that a problem exists.

n. a symbolic or digital indicator used to draw attention to a specific item, condition, or potential problem.

“The teacher put a red flag next to the student's name because he missed too many classes.”

“The software developer added a flag to the code to alert the system whenever a user entered an invalid password.”

Synonyms

signal marker indicator

03to mark for attention

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to mark something so that you or someone else will notice it later.

v. to identify or mark an item for subsequent attention or treatment.

“I've flagged the most important emails so I can reply to them first tomorrow morning.”

“The audit flagged several inconsistencies in the financial reports that required immediate clarification from the accounting department.”

Usage

often used with 'up' in British English

Synonyms

mark highlight note

Antonyms

ignore overlook

04to signal to stop

B1 · Intermediate

v. to wave at a driver to make them stop their vehicle.

v. to signal a vehicle to stop, typically by waving one's hand or a physical flag.

“We had to flag down a taxi because it was raining and we didn't have an umbrella.”

“The stranded motorist managed to flag down a passing truck just as his phone battery died.”

Usage

commonly used as 'flag down'

Synonyms

hailwave downstop

05to become tired

C1 · Advanced Literary

v. to become tired, weak, or less interested in something.

v. to decline in strength, vigor, or interest; to become languid or feeble.

“By the end of the long meeting, everyone's energy began to flag.”

“Despite his initial enthusiasm for the project, his interest began to flag when the technical challenges became increasingly repetitive.”

Synonyms

fade weaken tire

Antonyms

revive flourish

06a flat stone

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical

n. a large, flat stone used for making paths or floors.

n. a hard, flat stone used for paving slabs; a shortened form of 'flagstone'.

“The garden path was made of old grey flags that had grown moss over the years.”

“The restoration committee insisted on sourcing authentic limestone flags to maintain the historical integrity of the cathedral floor.”

Synonyms

flagstoneslabpaver

07a plant

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Biology Technical

n. a type of plant with long, sword-shaped leaves, often a kind of iris.

n. any of various plants with sword-shaped leaves, particularly those in the iris family.

“Yellow flags grew thickly along the edge of the river.”

“The marshy banks were dominated by Iris pseudacorus, commonly known as the yellow flag, which provides essential habitat for local insects.”

Synonyms

iris

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “flag” in context.

Verb

01. fly a flag

“Many houses in the village fly a national flag during the holiday.”

verb + noun

02. raise a flag

“The soldiers raise the flag every morning at sunrise.”

verb + noun

03. wave a flag

“The crowd began to wave their flags when the parade started.”

verb + noun

Adjective

04. national flag

“The athlete proudly carried the national flag during the opening ceremony.”

adj + noun

05. white flag

“The losing army showed a white flag to signal they wanted to stop fighting.”

adj + noun

Noun

06. red flag

“His constant lateness was a red flag that he wasn't serious about the job.”

noun + noun

07. flag pole

“The wind was so strong that the flag pole started to bend.”

noun + noun

From Middle English flag, flagge (“flag”), further etymology uncertain. Perhaps from or related to early Middle English flage (name for a baby's garment) and Old English flagg, flacg (“cataplasm, poultice, plaster”). Or, perhaps ultimately imitative, or otherwise drawn from Proto-Germanic flaką (“something flat”), from Proto-Indo-European pleh₂- (“flat, broad, plain”), referring to the shape. Germanic cognates include Saterland Frisian Flaage (“flag”), West Frisian flagge (“flag”), Dutch vlag (“flag”), German Flagge (“flag”), Swedish flagga (“flag”), Danish flag (“flag, ship's flag”). Compare also Middle English flacken (“to flutter, palpitate”), Swedish dialectal flage (“to flutter in the wind”), Old Norse flögra (“to flap about”). Akin to Old High German flogarōn (“to flutter”), Old High German flogezen (“to flutter, flicker”), Middle English flakeren (“to move quickly to and fro”), Old English flacor (“fluttering, flying”). More at flack, flacker.

Perhaps from a variant of flack (“to hang loose”), from Middle English flacken; or perhaps from Old Norse. Compare Middle Dutch flaggheren, vlaggheren (“to droop, flag”).

From Middle English flagge, of uncertain origin, perhaps from North Germanic; compare Danish flæg (“yellow iris”). Or, possibly from sense 1, referring to its motion in the wind. Compare also Dutch vlag.