Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Moving swiftly; capable of or characterized by high-speed flight or movement. This describes something that travels through the air or moves with great speed.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The air force deployed fast-flying jets to intercept the unidentified aircraft.
  • Scientists study the aerodynamics of fast-flying birds like the peregrine falcon.
  • The fast-flying rumor spread through the office before anyone could confirm it.

Advanced Usage

• Descriptive Compound: While "fast-flying" functions as a single adjective, it is often used attributively (before a noun) to specify the type of speed. Its meaning is very literal and specific to rapid aerial or analogous movement.
  • The documentary highlighted fast-flying insects like dragonflies.
• Figurative Extension: It can be applied figuratively to describe things that propagate or occur with great speed, similar to something flying.
  • In the age of social media, news is fast-flying and often unchecked.

Variants and Related Words

• Fast-moving (adj): Moving quickly, not necessarily through the air.
  • The fast-moving river carried the boat downstream.
• Swift-flying (adj): A near-synonym emphasizing graceful or effortless speed.
  • Swallows are swift-flying birds that catch insects mid-air.

Synonyms

• Rapid
• Swift
• Speedy

Related Phrases

• To move at a breakneck pace: To move extremely fast.
  • The project development was moving at a breakneck pace.
• Like a shot: Very quickly and suddenly.
  • The cat was out the door like a shot.

Notes on Usage

• "Fast-flying" is a hyphenated compound adjective. The hyphen is used to link the two words into a single unit that modifies a noun (e.g., fast-flying plane). Without the hyphen, "fast flying plane" could be ambiguously read as a plane that is fast and flying.
• It is a relatively specialized term most commonly found in contexts discussing aviation, zoology (birds/insects), or metaphorically for the rapid spread of information.

Adjective

1. moving swiftly
   • fast-flying planes
   • played the difficult passage with flying fingers