flow
flow — verb
1. to move steadily in a particular direction — used when talking about water, air,
to move steadily in a particular direction — used when talking about water, air, electrical current, or traffic
Warm water flowed from the kitchen tap into a large metal pot.
flow + from [source] + into [destination]
The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon and into the sea.
Cool air flows from the air conditioner across the whole living room.
Electricity flows through these metal wires to light up the house.
electricity as subject: flow through [conductor]
Traffic on the highway flowed slowly after a truck broke down near the bridge.
- flow freely
- flow smoothly
- flow through
- flow from
- flow into
- flow out of
- flow along
- flow down
Grammar Patterns
flow + adverb/preposition of direction
Usage Note
Intransitive only — do not say 'the river flows water'. For the movement of traffic, people, or information, use the same pattern: flow + direction adverb/preposition.
Common Mistakes
2. to keep coming or being produced steadily, without stopping — used about money,
to keep coming or being produced steadily, without stopping — used about money, information, goods, or ideas
Donations flowed in from all over Taiwan after the typhoon news spread.
money/information + flow in + from [source]
Emails from customers have been flowing all morning since the sale was announced.
Great ideas flowed from Talia as she sketched the new garden design.
ideas/metaphorical subject: flow from [person]
Orders for the new phone are flowing in faster than the factory can fill them.
Money from the education fund flowed slowly, delaying the school building project.
flow + adverb (slowly) to indicate rate of supply
- flow in
- flow from
- flow steadily
- flow constantly
- money flows
- ideas flow
- information flows
Grammar Patterns
flow + in/from/into, e.g. 'donations flowed in'
flow + from + source
Usage Note
Subject is typically inanimate (donations, ideas, money, orders). The direction particle 'in' is common: 'flow in' for things arriving. Frequently used with 'from' to indicate the source.
Common Mistakes
3. to fall or hang in a loose, graceful way, used about hair or clothing that moves
to fall or hang in a loose, graceful way, used about hair or clothing that moves freely in the air or down the body
Gabriela's long black hair flowed down her back in soft, shiny waves.
hair + flow down [body part] — common pattern for hair
The silk curtains flowed gently in the breeze from the open window.
Anong's red scarf flowed behind her as she rode her bicycle down the hill.
clothing + flow behind [person] — movement while in motion
Her white wedding dress flowed around her feet as she walked down the steps.
- flow down
- flow behind
- flow around
- flow freely
- hair flows
- fabric flows
Grammar Patterns
flow + adverb of manner, e.g. 'flow down her back'
Usage Note
Subject is hair or fabric/clothing. Often paired with 'down' (flow down) for hair touching the body, or 'behind' for fabric trailing in motion. This sense has a positive tone — the hanging is attractive, not messy.
Common Mistakes
flow — noun
1. the way that a liquid, gas, or stream of traffic moves steadily and smoothly alo
the way that a liquid, gas, or stream of traffic moves steadily and smoothly along a path
The doctor checked the flow of blood through Élise's damaged artery.
the flow of + [substance] + through + [path]
A sensor measures the flow of natural gas through the main pipeline.
The flow of traffic on the highway was stopped for three hours after the accident.
the flow of + traffic — common collocation
Good airport design helps the smooth flow of passengers through security checks.
The flow of the river slowed down after the dry summer months with little rain.
- the flow of
- smooth flow
- steady flow
- blood flow
- traffic flow
- air flow
- water flow
- stagnation
a state where movement has stopped
- blockage
something that stops the flow
Grammar Patterns
the flow of + noun
Usage Note
Usually singular. The pattern 'flow of X' is the most common structure. Used for concrete substances (water, air, electricity) and also for crowds or traffic.
Common Mistakes
2. a regular, continuous supply of something, such as people arriving, money coming
a regular, continuous supply of something, such as people arriving, money coming in, or goods being produced
A steady flow of tourists visits the island every summer to enjoy the beaches.
steady flow of + people (tourists, visitors, customers)
Yumi was surprised by the flow of job offers she received after the interview.
The hospital received a constant flow of patients during the worst week of the flu season.
The flow of new members into the fitness club doubled after the new year promotion.
flow of new [members/students/customers] into [organisation]
- steady flow
- constant flow
- continuous flow
- flow of tourists
- flow of money
- flow of customers
- flow of information
Grammar Patterns
a/constant/steady flow of + noun (people, money, goods)
Usage Note
Distinguish from noun sense 1: sense 1 focuses on physical movement (water, traffic), while sense 2 focuses on the idea of supply or quantity (people, money, offers). Use 'steady flow', 'constant flow', 'continuous flow' as modifiers.
Common Mistakes
3. the way that goods, information, or work keeps moving without interruption throu
the way that goods, information, or work keeps moving without interruption through a process or system
The company improved the flow of information between the sales and production teams.
flow of information between [teams/departments]
A break in the flow of production caused a delay of more than seven hours.
Nikhil wants to speed up the flow of goods from the factory to the shops.
speed up the flow of [goods/products/materials]
A good flow of ideas helps the engineering team solve problems much faster.
- improve the flow
- speed up the flow
- disrupt the flow
- flow of information
- flow of goods
- flow of communication
- flow of work
- circulation
suggests movement through a system and back to the start
- movement
more general, less specific about continuousness
- throughput
technical term for the amount processed in a given time
- disruption
an interruption in the normal movement of something
- bottleneck
a point where flow is slowed or stopped
Grammar Patterns
the flow of + noun (goods, information, production)
Usage Note
Often used in business and production contexts. Common collocations: 'flow of information', 'flow of goods', 'flow of communication'. Frequently paired with verbs like 'improve', 'speed up', 'disrupt', 'maintain'.
Common Mistakes
4. a mental state of complete focus and enjoyment in an activity, where someone is
a mental state of complete focus and enjoyment in an activity, where someone is so absorbed that time passes without noticing and everything feels effortless
Wren entered a flow state while painting the mountain landscape and forgot to eat lunch.
enter a flow state + [activity] — common pattern
Nikhil felt completely in the flow during the chess tournament and won every game.
Getting into a flow while writing makes the work feel effortless and deeply satisfying.
get into (a) flow — idiomatic verb collocation
Runners often describe a state of flow during long-distance races when the pain disappears.
- state of flow
- flow state
- in flow
- enter flow
- find the flow
- lose the flow
- absorption
complete attention to something, but without the enjoyment element
- focus
narrower — just concentration, not the full optimal-experience state
- immersion
being deeply involved, but can be in neutral or unpleasant activities too
- distraction
the opposite of being focused
- frustration
emotional state when something blocks progress
Grammar Patterns
in (a state of) flow
enter a flow state
find one's flow
Usage Note
Popularised by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Typically used with prepositions 'in' (in flow) or 'into' (get into flow). 'Flow state' is a common compound noun. Uncountable — do not say 'a flow' in this sense.
Common Mistakes
5. the long hair of a male sports star that hangs down loosely in an eye-catching w
the long hair of a male sports star that hangs down loosely in an eye-catching way while he plays
The basketball player is known for his long, flowing hair that fans call his flow.
possessive + flow — informal noun use for hair
The young soccer star's flow caught the wind as he ran across the field after scoring.
Many fans at the game wore wigs to copy their favourite player's signature flow.
The pitcher shook his head and let his dark hair flow freely before throwing the ball.
verb 'let [hair] flow' — common causative pattern
- have flow
- sports flow
- hair flow
- signature flow
- the flow
Grammar Patterns
possessive + flow
have a (good/nice/beautiful) flow
Usage Note
Informal, mostly sports slang. Used almost exclusively for men with long hair in athletic contexts (soccer, basketball, baseball). Not used for women's hairstyles. Singular only — 'flows' is not used in this sense.
Common Mistakes
6. the continuous way in which events, ideas, words, or music develop and follow on
the continuous way in which events, ideas, words, or music develop and follow one another in a connected sequence
The flow of the conversation moved from politics to family life and back again.
flow of conversation — common collocation
Brooke interrupted the flow of the meeting with a sudden question about the budget.
interrupt the flow of [event/activity]
The book follows the natural flow of the changing seasons through the year.
The flow of events after the election surprised even the most experienced reporters.
flow of events — fixed collocation
- flow of conversation
- flow of events
- flow of time
- interrupt the flow
- maintain the flow
- natural flow
- follow the flow
- progression
more formal, emphasises forward movement and development
- sequence
neutral, just the order of things without the smoothness
- continuity
focuses on the connection between parts, not the movement
- disruption
break or interruption in the sequence
- disorder
lack of logical or orderly sequence
Grammar Patterns
the flow of + events/ideas/conversation
flow of + noun phrase
Usage Note
Common in both formal and informal contexts. 'Flow' here is about logical or temporal sequence. Typical verbs: 'interrupt the flow', 'follow the flow', 'disrupt the flow', 'maintain the flow'. Often used with 'of + abstract noun'.
Common Mistakes
7. the amount or rate at which a liquid or gas moves through a pipe, tube, or openi
the amount or rate at which a liquid or gas moves through a pipe, tube, or opening over a given period of time
The pump delivers a flow of fifty litres of water every minute.
flow of + [quantity] + per [time unit] — measurement pattern
Engineers calculated the flow needed to supply the whole town with clean water.
A small blockage in the hose reduced the flow of water by more than half.
The nurse checked the flow of oxygen from the tank to the patient's mask.
medical context: flow of oxygen to [patient/area]
- flow rate
- measured flow
- maximum flow
- average flow
- flow of litres
- water flow
- gas flow
- reduce the flow
- increase the flow
- flow rate
more specific term for quantity per unit of time
- discharge
technical, used for rivers and pumps
- throughput
general term for amount passing through, not limited to fluids
Grammar Patterns
flow + noun (rate/volume)
flow of + measurement unit
Usage Note
Technical or semi-technical term. Often preceded by a measurement ('a flow of X litres per second'). Common in engineering, plumbing, and medical contexts (blood flow rate). The compound 'flow rate' is very common.
Common Mistakes
go with the flow
idiomto accept what happens naturally and let events take their own course, rather than trying to control or change things
Hoa decided to stop worrying about the itinerary and just go with the flow on the trip.
When the weather ruined their picnic plans, the family went with the flow and ate indoors instead.
The continuous pattern of increase and decrease or change in something.
Maya enjoys the ebb and flow of the stock market.
Have you noticed the ebb and flow of the tides here?
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Flow, stream, current, and circulation all describe the movement of liquids or other substances, but they differ in scope and emphasis. Flow is the most general term, describing any smooth, continuous movement in one direction — of water, air, traffic, electricity, or even conversation. Stream suggests a narrow, fast, continuous movement, often of a smaller body of water, but can also extend to light, people, or data ('a stream of visitors'). Current implies movement within a larger body (like the ocean or a river) that has a definite direction and force; it also carries the specialised meaning of electrical flow. Circulation describes movement through a closed system that returns to its starting point, such as blood moving through the body or air moving through a room. For example: 'the flow of traffic was steady' focuses on smooth movement; 'a strong current pulled the swimmer' focuses on directional force within water; 'the circulation of air' implies a system returning air to the source.
Common collocations
Nouns
- water
- air
- blood
- electricity
- traffic
- information
- money
- ideas
- goods
- tears
- energy
- gas
- data
- communication
Phrases
- in full flow
- against the flow
- with the flow
- ebb and flow
- flow of traffic
- flow of information
- cash flow
- blood flow
- work flow
Etymology
The word 'flow' comes from Old English 'flowan', meaning 'to flow, stream, or issue', which goes back to the Proto-Germanic root '*flowan'. This root comes from the Proto-Indo-European '*pleu-', meaning 'to flow, run, or float'. Related English words include 'flood', 'float', 'fleet' (a group of ships), and 'pluvial' (relating to rain). The psychological sense of 'flow' (complete absorption in an activity) was first used in this way by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970s.