Definitions
01movement of liquid or things
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the steady and continuous movement of a liquid, or of a large number of people or things.
n. the continuous and steady movement of a fluid or a collective mass of entities, such as vehicles or pedestrians.
日本語:流れ※
“The dam was built to control the flow of water from the mountains.”
“Urban planners analyzed the flow of traffic through the intersection to determine where to install the new pedestrian crossings.”
Antonyms
02smoothness of speech or ideas
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the smooth and natural way that speech, writing, or music moves along.
n. the quality of continuity and rhythmic smoothness in communication or artistic expression.
日本語:流れ※
Español:flujo
“The editor improved the flow of the article by moving the second paragraph.”
“The speaker's natural flow was interrupted by frequent technical glitches with the presentation software.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03mental focus
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Psychology Academic
n. a state of mind where you are so focused on what you are doing that you forget about time.
n. a psychological state of total immersion and high productivity in an activity, often termed 'optimal experience'.
日本語:フロー※
“I was in a state of flow and finished the whole painting in one afternoon.”
“Achieving a state of flow during complex coding tasks can significantly increase a developer's daily output and job satisfaction.”
04software/process steps
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing Technical
n. the order of steps or screens a user follows in a computer program.
n. the logical sequence of operations or user interactions within a software application or business process.
“We need to simplify the checkout flow so customers can buy items faster.”
“The system architecture ensures that the data flow between the server and the client remains encrypted at all times.”
05rapping skill
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Music Informal · Slang
n. the ability to rap smoothly and keep a good rhythm with the beat.
n. the rhythmic and lyrical delivery of a rapper in relation to the underlying beat.
“The crowd loved the artist's fast flow and clever lyrics.”
“Critics praised the album for its innovative flow, noting how the artist shifted rhythms effortlessly across different tempos.”
06to move steadily
B1 · Intermediate
v. to move steadily and continuously in one direction, like water.
v. to move in a stream or as a fluid; to circulate or proceed continuously.
“Rivers flow into the sea because of the pull of gravity.”
“Blood flows through the veins to deliver oxygen to every part of the human body.”
Antonyms
07to hang loosely
B2 · Upper Intermediate Literary
v. to hang or fall loosely and gracefully, like long hair or a dress.
v. to hang or drape in a loose, graceful, or undulating manner.
“Her long silk dress seemed to flow as she walked across the stage.”
“The banners flowed in the wind, their bright colors visible from miles across the valley.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “flow” in context.
Verb
01. flow continues
“Work will not stop as long as the flow of investment continues.”
noun + verb
02. flow increases
“The flow of information increases significantly during a crisis.”
noun + verb
Adjective
03. constant flow
“A constant flow of traffic makes it difficult to cross this street.”
adj + noun
Noun
04. flow of cash
“The company struggled because the flow of cash was too slow.”
noun + prep + noun
05. flow of ideas
“Brainstorming sessions encourage a free flow of ideas among staff.”
noun + prep + noun
06. flow of traffic
“The new bypass was built to improve the flow of traffic.”
noun + prep + noun
07. disrupt the flow of
“Technical problems often disrupt the flow of the presentation.”
08. facilitate flow
09. flow chart
10. flow extent
11. go with the flow
“Instead of planning every detail, he decided to just go with the flow.”
12. in a state of flow
“Artists often lose track of time when they are in a state of flow.”
Etymology
From Middle English flowe, from the verb (see below). The psychology sense “state of focus” was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975.
From Middle English flowen, from Old English flōwan (“to flow”), from Proto-West Germanic flōan, from Proto-Germanic flōaną (“to flow”), from Proto-Indo-European plōw-, lengthened o-grade form of plew- (“to fly, flow, run”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian flouje (“to flow”), West Frisian floeie (“to flow”), Dutch vloeien (“to flow”), Norwegian flo (“to flow”). Compare also English float. Not cognate with Latin fluō despite similarity.
Uncertain. Perhaps from Old Norse flói (“a large bay, firth”), see floe. Compare Scots flow (“peat-bog, marsh”), Icelandic flói (“marshy ground”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/flow
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0