fly-by-night


Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia.

fly-by-night

(flī′bī-nīt′) Informal
adj.
1. Unreliable or unscrupulous, especially with regard to business dealings: "some fly-by-night startup that was halfway to shutting down" (Douglas Edwards).
2. Of an impermanent or insubstantial nature: fly-by-night fashions in clothing.
n. also fly-by-night·er (-nī′tər)
1. An unreliable or unscrupulous person.
2. One, such as a company, that is short-lived and therefore unreliable.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fly-by-night

adj
1. unreliable or untrustworthy, esp in finance
2. brief; impermanent
n
3. an untrustworthy person, esp one who departs secretly or by night to avoid paying debts
4. a person who goes out at night to places of entertainment
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fly′-by-night`



adj.
1. not reliable or well established, esp. in business, and primarily interested in making a quick profit: a fly-by-night operation.
2. not lasting; impermanent; transitory.
n.
3. a debtor who attempts to evade creditors.
4. a fly-by-night person or business.
Also, fly′-by-night′er.
[1790–1800]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

fly-by-night

- Said to be an old term of reproach to a woman signifying that she was a witch, and was extended to "anyone who departs hastily from a recent activity," especially while owing money.
See also related terms for witch.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.fly-by-night - a debtor who flees to avoid paying
debitor, debtor - a person who owes a creditor; someone who has the obligation of paying a debt
Adj.1.fly-by-night - (of businesses and businessmen) unscrupulous; "a shady operation"
shady
untrustworthy, untrusty - not worthy of trust or belief; "an untrustworthy person"
2.fly-by-night - ephemeral; "the symphony is no fly-by-night venture"
impermanent, temporary - not permanent; not lasting; "politics is an impermanent factor of life"- James Thurber; "impermanent palm cottages"; "a temperary arrangement"; "temporary housing"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

fly-by-night

adjective (Informal) unreliable, cowboy (informal), dubious, questionable, shady, untrustworthy, undependable fly-by-night operators who do shoddy work
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations

fly-by-night

[ˈflaɪbaɪnaɪt]
A. ADJ → informal, poco fiable
B. N → casquivano/a m/f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Mentioned in ?
References in classic literature ?
Millot was stumbling, laughing, swearing meaninglessly out of pure satisfaction, pleased with himself for having run down that fly-by-night. "As if there were such things as ghosts!
View in context
'We will establish connections with other agencies to strengthen the crackdown against the colorum especially those which are fly-by-night. I observed that they are existing,' he added.
New LTFRB regional head to pursue modernization plan
If you want to know how to lead a comfortable life without having any apparent and declared source of income, the leading answer is as Rahul Gandhi did through his 'Sweetheart Deals' with Fly-by-Night Operators."
Sadr-e-Riyasat, Wazir-e-Azam are very dangerous, give birth to the idea of separatism: Jaitley
It will be easier to distinguish fly-by-night operators if the legitimate ones are under one group that is being monitored not only by the UAE Government, but by the Philippine Business Council also and, in some ways, by Manila's Department of Trade and Industry," she said.
Send balikbayan boxes through legal cargo companies, Filipinos told
The head of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security is facing a complaint of graft and cyberlibel from a group of journalists who cried foul over his social media posts that described them as 'hao shiao' or fly-by-night reporters.
P100-M federalism fund sparks Usec, press club row
It was reported that some 4,000 teachers in Terengganu were fleeced in the scam that offered 'fly-by-night' umrah packages.
Cops looking for former YBNT director to assist umrah scam probe
Fly-by-night "funded" "initiatives" which seem to press all the buttons and promise a new dawn - but which disappear in a couple of years when the money dries up?
I've seen it all before, sadly; Letters
A team of fly-by-night salesmen left Cleveland in a hurry, leaving a crowd of disgruntled customers at the venue of an abandoned sale.
Drama in the air but pilot is a real hero; years ago 30
A senior administration congressman yesterday dared the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to take swift action in reforming the graft-ridden Compulsory Third Party Liability (CTPL) insurance program to protect vehicle owners from spurious insurance policies and fly-by-night insurance firms.
LTO, IC compelled to act on vehicle insurance mess
IN the aftermath of Black Monday, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio, right) loses his job and is forced to sell penny stocks at a fly-by-night operation in Long Island.
Top chick flicks; Girls' night in; Get your mates round for an evening of film, music or fun
IN THE aftermath of Black Monday, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) loses his job and is forced to sell penny stocks at a fly-by-night operation in Long Island.
on dvd

Dictionary browser ?
Full browser ?