Fleeing

/ˈfliːɪŋ/

verbBeginner📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

To run away from a place or situation of danger or difficulty.

/ˈfliːɪŋ/

verbnegativeBeginner
General

running away from danger or an unpleasant situation

The villagers were fleeing the advancing army.

💡 Simply: Imagine you see a scary monster! Fleeing is like running away super fast to get away from it. It means escaping from something that is dangerous or you don't like.

👶 For kids: Running away really fast from something scary or bad.

More Examples

2

She was fleeing the burning building.

3

Many refugees are fleeing their war-torn countries.

How It's Used

Warfare

"Soldiers were fleeing the battlefield."

Crime

"The suspect was seen fleeing the scene."

Natural Disasters

"Residents are fleeing the flood zone."

Synonyms & Antonyms

From Middle English fleen, flen, from Old English flēon (“to flee, fly”), from Proto-Germanic *flēhaną.

The word has consistently been used throughout history to describe the act of running away from danger or something unpleasant. Its usage is prevalent in historical accounts of warfare, natural disasters, and instances of persecution.

Memory tip

Think of a frightened animal running away - 'fleeing' is like that, but for people.

Word Origin

LanguageProto-Germanic
Original meaning

"to run away"

Base: flee
flee the countryflee the sceneflee dangerflee persecutionflee an attacker

Common misspellings

fleeinggfleeingfleeing'fleeingg'

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written