Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fly by the seat of one's pants

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.97 in modern English

Syllables: fly- by the seat of one's -pants
IPA

42

Scrabble Score

23

Letters

3

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To pilot an aircraft without the aid of instruments and without a flight plan, using only instinct, visual observation, and practical judgment.

verb

To use one's judgment, initiative, and perceptions as events unfold in order to improvise a course of action without a predetermined plan or without the desirable data inputs to decision making.

Example Sentences

"Between world wars, when Douglas Bader was a cocky, teen-age R.A.F. cadet . . . a man could navigate by eye and the nearest railroad track and fly by the seat of his pants."
"“Unlike Obama and his methodical process, McCain was flying by the seat of his pants,” the authors observe."

Inflected Forms

flies by the seat of one's pants (present, singular) flying by the seat of one's pants (participle, present) flew by the seat of one's pants (past) flown by the seat of one's pants (participle, past)

Phrases

in flight on the fly seat-of-the-pants

Frequently Paired Words

in flight on the fly pantser pantsing seat-of-the-pants

Synonyms

play by ear make it up as one goes along wing it

Questions

What does fly by the seat of one's pants mean?: To pilot an aircraft without the aid of instruments and without a flight plan, using only instinct, visual observation, and practical judgment.

How to pronounce fly by the seat of one's pants

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