How to pronounce gadfly
Say it like GAD-fly. Gadfly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GAD).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce gadfly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GAD
- fly
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Gadfly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GADSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- flyGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of gadfly
American and British speakers say gadfly in essentially the same way: /ˈɡædˌflaɪ/ in the US and /ˈɡædflaɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: GAD-fly.
What does gadfly mean?
- Any dipterous (“two-winged”) insect or fly of the family Oestridae (commonly known as a bot fly) or Tabanidae (horse fly), noted for irritating animals by buzzing about them, and biting them to suck their blood; a gadbee.
- A person or thing that irritates or instigates.
- A person who upsets the status quo by posing novel or upsetting questions, or attempts to stimulate innovation by being an irritant.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying gadfly
How do you pronounce gadfly?
Say GAD-fly. The American pronunciation is /ˈɡædˌflaɪ/. In British English it is /ˈɡædflaɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in gadfly?
Gadfly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GAD). Broken into parts: GAD · fly.
Do Americans and Brits say gadfly the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɡædˌflaɪ/ and the British form is /ˈɡædflaɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.