fly-by-night

[flahy-bahy-nahyt] / ˈflaɪ baɪˌnaɪt /

ADJECTIVE

unreliable and shady

Synonyms

STRONG

brief cowboy ephemeral passing temporary

WEAK

disreputable dubious evanescent fleeting here-today-gone-tomorrow impermanent irresponsible momentary not to be relied upon not to be trusted questionable shady shifty short-lived slimy slippery treacherous trustless undependable unprofessional unreliable unsure untrustworthy

Antonyms

STRONG

enduring lasting long permanent

WEAK

dependable reliable reputable responsible trustworthy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Many of the detainees are without any legal counsel or fallen prey to fly-by-night immigration attorneys.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

Officials have blasted the company as a fly-by-night outfit that poses an environmental risk to sensitive coastal areas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

A fly-by-night journalism outlet called BNN Breaking had used an A.I. chatbot to paraphrase an article from another news site, according to a BNN employee.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024

Some are on fly-by-night commercial websites that reveal little information about who runs them or the technology they’re based on.

From Seattle Times • May 23, 2024

Those jars were something you might expect to find in the basement of a fly-by-night medical school, not a house full of children.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

fly-by-night

Example Sentences

Related Words