flightless

F4L1I1G2H4T1L1E1S1S1

adjective

Describing kinds of birds that normally cannot fly, such as the penguin, ostrich, and emu.

“Near-synonyms: apterous, wingless”

Similar
nonflyingnonvolantapterouswingless
Opposite
flyingvolant
OriginProto-Germanic *lausaz ← Proto-Indo-European *lewHs- ← English flight →
UncommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

adjectiveflightless (not comparable)
  1. Unable to fly.
    1. not comparableusuallyDescribing kinds of birds that normally cannot fly, such as the penguin, ostrich, and emu.

      Near-synonyms: apterous, wingless

      2 more examples

      The indigenous fauna of Australia and New Zealand featured an especially interesting array of flightless birds.

      America has its bald eagle and New Zealand has its kiwi, a flightless brown bird.

      2010, Alexander Elder, Straying from the Flock: Travels in New Zealand

      Synonyms: nonflying, nonvolant, apterous, wingless · Antonyms: flying, volant

    2. not comparableuncommonDescribing an individual bird that normally would be able to fly but in this case cannot, such as an injured sparrow.

      The animal shelter has a flightless sparrow named Shiny, who seems to make up for his disability by being an avid runner.

    3. humorousnot comparableuncommonSuddenly deprived of a scheduled (airline) flight by its cancellation.

      Oh great, some wind is blowing in Chicago, so now I'm flightless in Seattle, because this airline can't cope!

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveDescribing kinds of birds that normally cannot fly, such as the penguin, ostrich, and emu.

Similar
nonflyingnonvolantapterouswingless
Opposite
flyingvolant

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveincapable of flying

Similar
wingless
Also see
apterousnonflyingnonvolantunflyingwingless

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*plew-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*plewk-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pléwketi
  4. Proto-Germanic*fleuganą
  5. Proto-West Germanic*fleugan
  6. Proto-West Germanic*fluhti
  7. Old Englishflyht
  8. Middle Englishflight
  9. Englishflight
  10. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  11. Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
  12. Proto-Germanic*leusaną
  13. Proto-Germanic*lausaz
  14. Englishflightless

From flight + -less.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech nelétavý
  • nelétavýunable to fly
Danish ikke flyvedygtig
  • ikke flyvedygtigunable to fly
Dutch niet-vliegend
  • niet-vliegendunable to fly
Finnish lentokyvytön
  • lentokyvytönunable to fly
German flugunfähig
  • flugunfähigunable to fly
Greek άπτερος
  • άπτερος (ápteros)unable to fly
Hungarian röpképtelen
  • röpképtelenunable to fly
Icelandic ófleygur
  • ófleygurunable to fly
Italian incapace di volare
  • incapace di volareunable to fly
Lithuanian neskraidantis
  • neskraidantisunable to fly
Norwegian Bokmål flygeudyktig
  • flygeudyktigunable to fly
Persian بیپرواز
  • بیپرواز (bi-parvâz)unable to fly
Polish nielotny
  • nielotnyunable to fly
Russian нелета́ющий
  • нелета́ющий (neletájuščij)unable to fly
Swedish flygoförmögen
  • flygoförmögenunable to fly
Cite this entry
APA

flightless. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flightless

MLA

“flightless.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flightless. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flightless,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flightless.

Source: flightless on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.