ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fly into

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to suddenly become very angry or enter a strong emotional state.

phr. v.. to enter a specified state or emotion suddenly and with intensity; typically used with nouns like 'rage', 'passion', or 'panic'.


SIMPLE

He will fly into a rage if you touch his car.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager flew into a panic when he realized the important files were missing from the server.

COMPLEX

Upon hearing the news of the betrayal, the king flew into a towering passion, ordering the immediate arrest of his advisors.

Particles
into
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fly + into + object
Usage

almost always followed by a noun representing a strong negative emotion like 'rage', 'temper', or 'panic'.

Teaching tip

this is a metaphorical extension of physical movement; focus on the speed and lack of control implied by 'fly' to help students remember the intensity.

Pitfall

She flew into angry.She flew into a rage.the phrase must be followed by a noun or noun phrase, not an adjective.

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