swift
adjective
swift
1 American
[swift]
/ swɪft /
adjective
swifter,
comparative
swiftest
superlative
-
moving or capable of moving with great speed or velocity; fleet; rapid.
a swift ship.
- Synonyms:
- speedy
-
coming, happening, or performed quickly or without delay.
a swift decision.
- Synonyms:
- expeditious
-
quick or prompt to act or respond.
swift to jump to conclusions.
-
Slang. quick to perceive or understand; smart; clever.
You can't cheat him, he's too swift.
adverb
noun
swifts
plural
-
any of numerous long-winged, swallowlike birds of the family Apodidae, related to the hummingbirds and noted for their rapid flight.
-
Also called ghost moth. Also called swift moth. any of several brown or gray moths, the males of which are usually white, of the family Hepialidae, noted for rapid flight.
-
an adjustable device upon which a hank of yarn is placed in order to wind off skeins or balls.
-
the main cylinder on a machine for carding flax.
Swift
2
American
[swift]
/ swɪft /
noun
-
Gustavus Franklin, 1839–1903, U.S. meat packer.
-
Jonathan Isaac Bickerstaff, 1667–1745, English satirist and clergyman, born in Ireland.
SWIFT
3
American
[swift]
/ swɪft /
noun
swift
1
British
/ swɪft /
adjective
-
moving or able to move quickly; fast
-
occurring or performed quickly or suddenly; instant
a swift response
-
prompt to act or respond
swift to take revenge
adverb
noun
-
any bird of the families Apodidae and Hemiprocnidae, such as Apus apus ( common swift ) of the Old World: order Apodiformes. They have long narrow wings and spend most of the time on the wing
-
(sometimes capital) a variety of domestic fancy pigeon originating in Egypt and Syria and having an appearance somewhat similar to a swift
-
short for swift moth
-
any of certain North American lizards of the genera Sceloporus and Uta that can run very rapidly: family Iguanidae (iguanas)
-
the main cylinder in a carding machine
-
an expanding circular frame used to hold skeins of silk, wool, etc
Swift
2
British
/ swɪft /
noun
-
Graham Colin. born 1949, English writer: his novels include Waterland (1983), Last Orders (1996), which won the Booker prize, and The Light of Day (2002)
-
Jonathan. 1667–1745, Anglo-Irish satirist and churchman, who became dean of St Patrick's, Dublin, in 1713. His works include A Tale of a Tub (1704) and Gulliver's Travels (1726)
Synonym Usage
See quick.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of swift1
First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective and adverb), Old English (adjective); akin to Old English swīfan “to revolve,” Old Norse svīfa “to rove”; see swivel
Origin of SWIFT3
First recorded in 1970–75
Explanation
If you were the first one to reach the finish line in gym class, the coach might have called you swift. Swift means quick or fast-moving. A glance, a current, even a decision can be swift. You can use the adjective swift to describe things that move or happen rapidly and smoothly. Deciding to borrow a parent's car without permission could result in swift punishment. Foxes are so swift that if you leave the chicken coop open for a moment, one might slip in. Conversely, if innuendo sails over your head, your friends might say, “You’re not too swift on the uptake, are you?” A swift is also a small bird that looks a lot like a swallow.
Vocabulary lists containing swift
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act III
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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.
See Examples For:
A Paramount spokesperson told Variety that the company is "grateful for the Court’s swift order" and underlined that it "preserves the status quo while the Court considers the antitrust issues presented."
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
In a July 8 statement, the State Department said it is planning reconstruction efforts with Venezuelan officials that “must be swift, safe and risk-informed to support long-term recovery.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Argentina opened up a two-goal lead, Jose Luis Brown scoring the opener and Jorge Valdano finishing a swift counter attack in the second half.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
That’s why Ham is swift to insist he’s being taunted, even when he’s not.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
In one swift motion, Felix lifted the ball above his head and launched it at the basket.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
Has Taylor Swift, a self-proclaimed “childless cat lady,” gotten a new dog?
From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026
Hamish, the Tartan Army organiser, spent a happy week in the United States last month, where he says Scots became "more popular than Taylor Swift".
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
It was a cultural phenomenon, much like a Taylor Swift tour or the debut of a blockbuster movie today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Would you pay $7,000 for a chair on which Taylor Swift sat in a basketball arena — for an NBA playoff game, not for her wedding?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Thousands of fans spent lazy summer evenings rooting for their family and friends on teams in an industrial baseball league that included the Swift Premiums.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
While volumes remain relatively small compared to oil or gas trade, the signal is unmistakable: Alternatives to SWIFT, the international payments messaging system, are on the table.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 2, 2025
More than 20 banks in Russia now use China’s version of SWIFT.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 27, 2023
Its share of world trade financing, according to SWIFT, has increased to 4.5% in February from 1.3% two years ago.
From Reuters ● Apr. 27, 2023
The allies have also frozen the assets of individuals and Russian banks, and severely limited Russia’s access to the international payment system, known as SWIFT.
From New York Times ● Oct. 7, 2022
Kok, a Dutch businessman of extreme wealth, was president of a Belgium-based banking company, SWIFT, and was responsible for organizing several international tournaments.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Others have raised environmental concerns over colonies of common swifts nesting in the park.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
Brewer, who has been documenting swifts, said she had previously seen birds entering gaps in the structure and believed several nests were present.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Before the study, it was uncertain if swifts even had vocal folds.
From Science Daily ● May 23, 2024
Some of the houses include solar slate roofs and built-in bird boxes to attract swifts.
From Washington Post ● May 2, 2023
A few are swifts, rushing to and fro in a blur as they herd us out.
From "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard
As this technology developed, the photographs became more detailed and the animations swifter and smoother.
From Slate ● May 25, 2026
Its taxi fleet is contracting at a swifter pace, with the fleet size falling 8.7% on year in 4Q 2025, double the 4.1% drop in 4Q 2024, the head of research notes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
But few players were swifter around the bases, and managers enlisted him as a pinch runner in close, late-innings games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2026
Unfortunately, the market in 2025 was much swifter and harsher toward companies that miss expectations than those that beat, meaning that any excessive optimism could lead to big selloffs.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
Peering through the plant clumps, they could catch glimpses of the smooth, glittering river, evidently much wider and swifter than the Enborne.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Miguel, posted the swiftest qualifying time, a wind-aided 10.27 — the fastest time in California this year — just minutes after Bakersfield sophomore Jalen Ford won his heat in a wind-aided 10.34.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2024
According to three of the commanders interviewed by The Times, the diplomatic route would be the swiftest way of returning the Israelis who remain in captivity.
From New York Times ● Jan. 20, 2024
The figure, comprising four broad categories, indicates activity expanding at its swiftest since January.
From Reuters ● Aug. 24, 2023
Repeatedly Stokes tells us of his commitment to doing whatever it takes to entertain, discomfort the opposition and win in the swiftest fashion.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2023
He also made him a present of eight of his swiftest horses, each horse decked with a golden bridle and a saddle encrusted with precious stones.
From "Beowulf: A New Telling" by Robert Nye
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
