flying blind
7
7.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
actuar a ciegas
- In the absence of a clear plan, I felt like I was flying blind during the presentation.
- flying blind here
- flying blind now
Examples
-
It's bad enough that the market is in the tank, but it's unacceptable that I'm flying blind!
Fiction book (2002) -
No matter how much practice we have, how many births we survive, infants we care for, birthdays we celebrate, when it comes to children and relationships and pretty much everything else in life, we're all flying blind.
Blog text (5) -
Other than that, we are flying blind here.
-
You know, we're just flying blind.
-
God knows I hate flying blind.
-
Like every other parent out there, I am flying blind and making it up as I go along.
Blog text (19) -
We're flying blind because outside of this blog and a few others like it, nobody in this country knows what's coming.
Blog text (17) -
Four years ago, I had just given birth to Fable, my first daughter, once again flying blind.
Blog text (5) -
There will come moments when you really are flying blind, and having the faith and being manly may not give you the detailed answers you need in a specific situation.
Blog text (14) -
Without any detailed reports, we are flying blind in this project.
Synonyms
3
8.5
To make quick decisions without a plan
1
7.7
To make decisions without enough information
Antonyms
How Informed
33
3.5
∞
2.7
- Informal
7
7.9
- Informal
110
5.5
42
3.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase maps a concrete image (flying) onto a state of not seeing (blind), creating a metaphor for operating without guidance or information. A B1 learner who knows both words can likely infer the general idea of doing something without necessary information, but the aviation-origin metaphor and idiomatic nuance mean the meaning is not fully predictable from the parts.
Etymology
The phrase flying blind comes from pilots who could not see because of clouds or night; they were literally flying but blind, with no view or instruments to guide them. That's why flying blind now means 'acting without guidance or clear information'.