1 C1 neutral
For a bird or winged creature to fly away by flapping its wings.
"The heron flapped off across the lake as we approached."
flap off
C1 neutral intransitive
For a bird or winged creature to depart by flapping its wings.
In plain English
For a bird to fly away by flapping its wings.
What does "flap off" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
A flap (wing movement) that takes a creature off — fully transparent.
Actually means
For a bird to fly away by flapping its wings.
Usage tip
Rarely used in everyday speech. More likely to appear in nature writing or descriptive narrative. Learners should prefer 'fly off' or 'fly away' in most contexts.
Words that pair with "flap off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
bird wings crow pigeon heron
How to conjugate "flap off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
flap off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
flaps off
he/she/it
Past simple
flaped off
yesterday
Past participle
flaped off
have + pp
-ing form
flaping off
continuous
Hear "flap off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "flap off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "flap off"
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