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• swift
  swift

  adjective

  moving or capable of moving with great speed or velocity; fleet; rapid.
• Swift
  Swift

  noun

  Gustavus Franklin, 1839–1903, U.S. meat packer.
• SWIFT
  SWIFT

  noun

  Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication: an international consortium that routes instructions concerning transfer of funds between financial institutions.

swift

¹ American  

[swift] / swɪft /

adjective

swifter, swiftest

1. moving or capable of moving with great speed or velocity; fleet; rapid.

   a swift ship.

   Synonyms:

   speedy

2. coming, happening, or performed quickly or without delay.

   a swift decision.

   Synonyms:

   expeditious

3. quick or prompt to act or respond.

   swift to jump to conclusions.

4. Slang. quick to perceive or understand; smart; clever.

   You can't cheat him, he's too swift.

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adverb

1. swiftly.

noun

1. any of numerous long-winged, swallowlike birds of the family Apodidae, related to the hummingbirds and noted for their rapid flight.

2. tree swift.

3. spiny lizard.

4. 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.

5. an adjustable device upon which a hank of yarn is placed in order to wind off skeins or balls.

6. the main cylinder on a machine for carding flax.

Swift ² American  

[swift] / swɪft /

noun

1. Gustavus Franklin, 1839–1903, U.S. meat packer.

2. Jonathan Isaac Bickerstaff, 1667–1745, English satirist and clergyman, born in Ireland.

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SWIFT ³ American  

[swift] / swɪft /

noun

1. Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication: an international consortium that routes instructions concerning transfer of funds between financial institutions.

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swift ¹ British  

/ swɪft /

adjective

1. moving or able to move quickly; fast

2. occurring or performed quickly or suddenly; instant

   a swift response

3. prompt to act or respond

   swift to take revenge

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adverb

1. 1. swiftly or quickly

   2. ( in combination )

      swift-moving

noun

1. 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

2. (sometimes capital) a variety of domestic fancy pigeon originating in Egypt and Syria and having an appearance somewhat similar to a swift

3. short for swift moth

4. any of certain North American lizards of the genera Sceloporus and Uta that can run very rapidly: family Iguanidae (iguanas)

5. the main cylinder in a carding machine

6. an expanding circular frame used to hold skeins of silk, wool, etc

Swift ² British  

/ swɪft /

noun

1. 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)

2. 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)

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Synonym Usage

See quick.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• swiftness
  noun
• swiftly
  adverb
• Swiftian
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Universal’s board said the bid undervalued the company, which is home to artists such as Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Swift will also release acoustic and piano versions of the single, all three of which are now available to preorder on her website.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

Police have named an 11-year-old boy who went missing in the River Don in South Yorkshire as Mackenzie Swift as searches for him continue.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Shares of Universal—which works with artists including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish—are down about 30% over the past 12 months.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

John Joyce worked for Swift & Company, named after its founder, Gustavus Franklin Swift, a man who demanded and respected excellence.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Related Words

• abrupt
• expeditious
• hasty
• nimble
• quick
• rapid
• speedy
• sudden
• unexpected