Flies are annoying pests, especially when they land on food. But, if you want to learn what the collective noun of flies is, then you can read what we gathered below.
Collective Nouns for Flies
Swarm
(Meaning) A swarm is a large group of flying insects. Since flies are winged insects and are often seen in a group, ‘swarm’ is the perfect word for a group of flies in an area.
Example 1: I had the worst experience in the park yesterday, for there was a swarm of flies!
Example 2: Close the trash bin to avoid a swarm of flies from getting in our trash and laying eggs.
Cloud
(Meaning) When a group of flies gets together, they form a circular shape that looks gloomy or dark. Therefore, people who see this refer to the group as a cloud.
Example 1: We saw a cloud of flies by the beach and saw plenty of dead fish on the shore!
Example 2: A large cloud of flies is never a good sign.
Grist
(Meaning) Grist is a bunch of grain ready to be ground into powder. They are often compared to a large group of flies, for flies are small and oval, and always in a group. This is an uncommon collective noun to use for a group of flies.
Example 1: I saw a grist of flies by the neighbor’s trash bins.
Example 2: I could only imagine what the grist of flies we saw earlier is doing by the abandoned house.