flee
/flee/
Definition
- Verb:
- To run away quickly, especially from danger or a threat. This is the core meaning, emphasizing a rapid escape.
- To vanish or disappear swiftly. This is a more figurative use, often applied to time or intangible things.
Usage
- Verb (Intransitive): Used without a direct object to describe the act of escaping.
- The thief fled when he heard the alarm.
- As the storm approached, the crowd fled in panic.
- Verb (Transitive): Used with a direct object to describe escaping a specific place, person, or situation. This is a formal or literary usage.
- They fled the country to seek asylum.
- He fled the scene of the accident.
Examples
- Intransitive Use:
- When the fire started, everyone fled from the building.
- The rabbit fled into the woods at the sound of footsteps.
- Transitive Use:
- Many people fled the war-torn region.
- She fled her oppressive home life for the city.
Advanced Usage
- "flee from": Often used with "from" to specify the source of danger, though "from" can be omitted, especially in transitive constructions.
- He fled (from) his captors.
- Figurative Use: Describing the rapid passage or disappearance of time, opportunities, or abstract concepts.
- The years have fled since we last met.
- All hope fled from his heart.
Variants and Related Words
- Fled: The simple past and past participle form of "flee".
- He had fled before the police arrived.
- Flight (noun): The act or an instance of fleeing.
- Their sudden flight surprised everyone.
Synonyms
- Escape: To get free from confinement or danger.
- Run away: To leave a place quickly by running (less formal than "flee").
- Bolt: To run away suddenly out of control.
- Abscond: To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection or arrest.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Flee" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. The action is typically expressed by "flee" alone or "flee from".)
Related Idioms
- Take flight: To flee; to run away. This idiom uses the related noun "flight".
- The burglars took flight when they saw the security camera.
- Show a clean pair of heels: (Idiomatic, somewhat old-fashioned) To run away very fast.
- When challenged, he showed them a clean pair of heels.
Verb
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run away quickly
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He threw down his gun and fled
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