ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flown

v. · adj.
US //ˈfɫoʊn// UK //flˈəʊn// flown
  1. 1 traveled by air (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    the form of 'fly' used after 'have' or 'has' to talk about traveling in the air.

    the past participle of the intransitive or transitive verb 'fly', used to form the present perfect and past perfect tenses.

    Example

    I have never flown in a helicopter before today.

    Example

    By the time the storm reached the coast, the migratory birds had already flown south for the winter.

    Usage

    Used with the auxiliary verb 'have' to form perfect tenses.
    Pitfall
    The river has flown over its banks.
    The river has flowed over its banks.

    Do not confuse 'flown' (from fly) with 'flowed' (from flow). Water flows; birds and planes fly.

  2. 2 moved quickly (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the form of 'fly' used to describe time or people moving very fast.

    the past participle of 'fly' used figuratively to denote rapid motion or the perceived quick passage of time.

    Example

    The last two weeks have flown by so quickly.

    Example

    The summer months had flown by in a blur of activity, leaving the students little time to prepare for their final examinations.
  3. 3 theatre scenery (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Theatre

    describes scenery that is hanging above a stage.

    describes scenery or equipment that has been raised into the flies (the space above the stage) using a rigging system.

    Example

    The heavy backdrop was flown out of sight during the scene change.

    Example

    The production design featured several flown elements that descended from the grid to transform the stage into a forest.

    Usage

    Often used in the passive voice or as a participial adjective.
Etymology 1

From Middle English flowen, floȝen, from Old English flogen, ġeflogen, past participle of Old English flēogan (“to fly”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English flowen (attested in derived verbs such as overflowen), from Old English flōwen, ġeflowen, past participle of Old English flōwan (“to flow”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026