on the fly
14
5.3
- idiom
- Informal
:
sobre la marcha
- During our road trip, we decided to change our itinerary on the fly to visit a friend we hadn't seen in years.
- change its priorities on the fly
But you, you bait, you're setting standards on the fly yourself.
- But you, you bait, you're setting standards on the fly yourself.
- You can try different things, you can learn on the fly.
- OK, this is this is one of those moments where showing me these videos on the fly is tough.
- He will do the most amazing freestyle rap on the fly.
- So I don't know where I'm going with it and I'm trying to create something on the fly.
- Like that, that process of figuring it out on the fly from what we're looking at in front of us, there's nothing more fun.
- You just dove in and figure it out on the fly.
Examples
-
Making new policy on the fly is a really bad idea.
Blog text (12) -
He often makes adjustments to the project on the fly as new information becomes available.
-
Decisions regarding which strategy to use can be planned in advance, but easily modified on the fly if needed.
Academic text (2013) -
But that highlights the point you make about how plans change on the fly.
Blog text (14) -
I'm figuring this out on the fly, but I think I have an idea.
-
Better to start fine-tuning the concept now, the advocates say, than to try to make it up on the fly later.
Academic text (2010) -
I'm going to go ahead and just sort of mix these paints on the fly and just see what happens.
-
You definitely do a lot of on-the-fly problem-solving.
Academic text (2016) -
Just type a note on the fly ("Sorry can't make it tonight") and hit send.
Blog text (23) -
Her work involves "a lot of on-the-fly problem-solving," she says.
Academic text (2016)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
At a fast speed or without delay
∞
1.0
At once without waiting
446
1.4
In a very short time
330
1.0
Right away without any delay
121
2.8
Immediately at the exact place where something happens, often needing a quick response
56
6.5
Right away without waiting
50
3.3
Very quickly, in almost no time
49
3.5
In a quick, careless way
35
2.5
Very quickly in a single moment
25
5.6
Happen at once without delay
23
3.2
Acting quickly with little care
12
5.5
A sudden decision made without thinking
9
2.8
Quickly and without careful thought
7
6.3
Said or done immediately without careful thought
6
4.4
To act suddenly without planning or thinking
6
2.4
To act quickly without delay
4
5.8
Happening suddenly without planning, often as a quick decision
3
3.0
It happens very quickly with little effort
2
9.9
Said or done without planning beforehand
1
3.5
Very quickly, in an instant
In a very short time
Happens very quickly
Antonyms
How Prepared
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression evokes a motion/metaphor ('on' + 'fly' ≈ 'while flying' or 'while in motion'), so an informed B1 learner who knows the words can often guess a general sense of doing something quickly or while something else is happening. However, the specific, conventionalized uses (especially the technical computing sense 'performed at runtime') are idiomatic and not fully predictable from the parts, and cross-linguistic realizations vary, so full comprehension usually requires prior exposure.
Etymology
The adverb on the fly paints a simple picture: doing something while moving, like fixing a report as new facts arrive or grabbing food while hurrying to a meeting. So, it means 'while doing something quickly, without stopping or without preparation'.