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Glite Dictionary
to fly over someone's head

to fly over someone's head

1 8.1
Someone does not understand an idea because it is too hard for them
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : no entender
  • His comment about advanced mathematics just flew over my head because I didn't understand it.

Examples

  • It belies a very grown-up story that reflects on the real world and, quite frankly, all but the broad strokes of people being hurt by liars and con artists might fly over younger players' heads.

    Blog text (6)

  • That was just Superman flying over your head.

    Woodlawn (2015)

  • I am surprised that it flew over a few people's heads.

    Blog text (14)

  • I'm amazed how it flies over so many people's heads.

    Blog text (28)

  • I wish saying the Republican Party is the party of the Id, but introductory psychology would probably fly right over these people's heads.

    Blog text (24)

  • "I take care of Katherine," he said with heavy sarcasm, but it flew right over Lawrence's head as Katherine flinched.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The teacher's complex explanation about quantum physics flew over the students' heads.

  • The subtle joke in the movie flew over her head, leaving her confused about the punchline.

Synonyms

to go over someone's head
vsto fly over someone's head
  • Informal
1 8.1

To be too hard for someone to understand

is about ideas or remarks that are too advanced to be understood
to talk over someone's head
vsto fly over someone's head
8.2

Say things that are too hard for someone to understand

refers to not understanding an idea or remark because it is too advanced

Antonyms

to understand
∞ 1.0

To know the meaning of something

to get it
  • Informal
877 1.1

To understand something after someone explains it

How Clear

to make sense
858 1.4
to fly over someone's head
  • Informal
1 8.1
to baffle
65 5.3
to mystify
28 6.5

Surface Forms

fly over someone's head infinitive
flying over someone's head present participle
flies over someone's head third person singular
flew over someone's head past
flown over someone's head past participle

Morphology

fly + over + someone's + head

The phrase evokes the literal image of something flying above a person's head, which metaphorically maps onto an idea not being grasped, so there is a clear link between constituents and meaning. However, this is a conventionalized metaphorical use rather than a purely compositional meaning, and many B1 learners who only know the words may not reliably derive the idiomatic sense without exposure.

Etymology

The idiom fly over someone's head comes from the simple picture of something that flies above your head, so you never see or catch it. So if an idea or joke flies over your head, you 'do not understand' it.