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to butterfly

to butterfly

7.0
To move lightly and irregularly through the air like a small insect with bright wings
  • verb
  • /ˈbʌtərˌflaɪ/
translation icon : revolotear
  • As the leaves fell, he butterflied across the park, enjoying the crisp autumn air.

Like I'm just, I'm just shoving guys out of the way, just kind of making my way through almost butterflying through these guys.

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Examples

  • Like I'm just, I'm just shoving guys out of the way, just kind of making my way through almost butterflying through these guys.

  • The bird butterflies gracefully from flower to flower, collecting nectar.

  • The fact that there will still be the difference and it can still butterfly its way up to make a difference there means that all of this stuff is scale free.

  • We've got solar bunnies right here where they butterfly lights up.

  • They kind of these ones came around butterflied around his like so from the top of his shoulders, right across the top of the traps.

  • Who wouldn't butterfly close up SpongeBob SquarePants?

  • I want you educating, empowering, inspiring your team, walking the floor, checking in on projects, butterflying and giving ideas.

  • She butterflied her way through the crowd, lightly dodging people as she moved.

Synonyms

to flutter
vsto butterfly
35 3.5

To move quickly and lightly back and forth, like wings or leaves

moves in irregular, uneven patterns rather than steady repeated motion
to flitter
vsto butterfly
1 6.9

To move quickly and lightly, like a small bird or moth

moves lightly but less rapid and more irregularly
to float like a butterfly
vsto butterfly
  • Informal
1 6.8

To move with light, graceful steps like a butterfly

moves in irregular light motions rather than smooth graceful steps

Antonyms

75 4.3

To become steady and stop changing

Idioms

1 6.8

To move with light, graceful steps like a butterfly

9.9

An action much stronger than needed against something small and harmless

Compounds

A large orange and black butterfly that travels long distances and whose caterpillars eat milkweed

butterfly effect
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A small change that causes big, unexpected results far away

A shrub with groups of flowers that attract butterflies

A person who catches butterflies and moths to keep and study

A small colorful tropical sea fish with a flat body and wide fins, often near coral reefs

butterfly stroke
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A swimming stroke where both arms move forward together and the legs kick like a dolphin

butterfly valve
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A valve with a flat disc that turns to control or stop the flow of water and air

6.1

A metal piece with two flat wings you turn by hand to hold things together

butterfly ray
  • Specialized
8.1

A large flat sea animal with a very wide body and a short tail

A plant with bright orange flowers that attract butterflies

butterfly flower
  • Specialized
8.2

A small garden plant with thin divided leaves and bright flowers with different colours

A shrub or small tree with clusters of pink flowers streaked with purple

An orchid with colorful flowers that look like a butterfly

A climbing plant with bright blue or purple flowers that people use to make tea and decorate gardens

A flowering plant with colorful, often fragrant flowers that look like butterflies

A flower with bright petals that look like a butterfly

8.2

A medium to large butterfly with bright wings and small front legs not used for walking

A small white butterfly whose caterpillars eat cabbage and other garden plants

A butterfly with jagged wing edges and a white mark shaped like a comma under each hind wing

danaid butterfly
  • Specialized
9.9

A large tropical butterfly with short front legs and a bad taste that keeps predators away

A large bright butterfly with blue or green wings found in Africa and parts of Europe and Asia

A small insect with bright wings whose front legs are very small and folded so it walks on four legs

A small southern European orchid with pale green and white flowers that smell sweet

lycaenid butterfly
  • Specialized
9.9

A small bright butterfly often with blue, shiny wings

A large orange and black North American butterfly whose caterpillars eat milkweed

A large dark purple butterfly with yellow edges on its wings

A European orchid with large dark green flowers that have a faint smell

hairstreak butterfly
  • Specialized
8.4

A small butterfly with thin lines like hairs under its wings

nymphalid butterfly
  • Specialized
8.6

A medium to large butterfly with bright wings and very small front legs

A small brown butterfly with spots that look like eyes on its wings

A European butterfly with reddish-brown wings and purple eye-like spots

pierid butterfly
  • Specialized
8.4

A pale butterfly like the cabbage white that visits flowers

A small flying insect with wide yellow or orange wings

A small bright butterfly with orange and black wings that often visits flowers

A small white butterfly whose caterpillars eat cabbage and other garden plants

How Lightly

to flitter
1 6.9
to butterfly
7.0
to float
645 1.0
to flap
54 1.4

Surface Forms

butterfly infinitive
butterflied past participle
butterflying present participle
butterflies third person singular

Etymology

Butterfly as a verb meaning to move lightly or flutter comes from the image of a butterfly's flight, so to 'butterfly' is to move in a light, fluttering way like the insect.