swift
adjective
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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:
Support for the actress was swift online, with many calling out Sneider for, as they saw it, “threatening” the actress for not giving him her time.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
Even if the party were to win control of both chambers of Congress in November's elections, there are no guarantees of swift action as it would have to unite behind one proposal.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
COLUMBIA, S.C.—When Art Monk began getting calls and texts from In & Out Bail Bonds saying his adult child was in jail and needed help, Monk’s first reaction was swift and harsh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
And it’s the biggest stress test “Mormon Wives” has faced in its short and swift rise as a reality TV phenomenon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Which is perfect timing from every angle: the enchiladas Scoob and G’ma stopped for are ready to make a swift exit, and there’s no public toilet for him to use.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
In the case of Kelce, aka Mr. Taylor Swift, the scheme ended this week, as many schemes do, in federal court.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
A power generation turbine might be harder to get that Taylor Swift concert tickets.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Swift countersued for sexual assault and battery, asking for $1 in damages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Steffan Aquarone, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, accused Sutton of acting more like pop star Taylor Swift than a politician.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
But Louis Swift and his fellow industrialists could not rest easy; a new standoff was always just around the corner, requiring new strategies to keep the bosses one step ahead of their workers.
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
The EU is also likely to cut more Russian banks, including the private Alfa-Bank, the online bank Tinkoff and the commercial lender Rosbank ROSB.MM from the global messaging system SWIFT.
From Reuters ● Feb. 21, 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
Campaigners have said nesting swifts may have been displaced after part of a building was demolished in Dorking, after building work scheduled for autumn started during migration season.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
This will help once-common species like swifts return to neighbourhoods, as well as help mammals and pollinators move safely across habitats to find food and shelter.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
Before the study, it was uncertain if swifts even had vocal folds.
From Science Daily ● May 23, 2024
Telkies, swifts, nymphs, greenys, stone- skins—all of them terrible to watch.
From "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard
After struggling for years, Burger King is gaining momentum in a rocky patch for the fast-food industry, growing its restaurant sales and drawing diners at a swifter rate than both McDonald’s and Wendy’s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
As this technology developed, the photographs became more detailed and the animations swifter and smoother.
From Slate ● May 25, 2026
The technology allows for much swifter identification than previous surveys, which date back to the 1970s and are incomplete.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
O’Brien’s rise to Olympian in the two-person bobsled, the second-fastest sliding sport of the Winter Games, has been even swifter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
The river, swollen with freshets from the thawing, was swifter than ever, exultantly rushing along.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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
A goal on Saturday would mean breaking the record for fastest to 50 - with Andy Cole's 65-game feat the swiftest on record in the Premier League era.
From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2023
The swiftest tightening of U.S. monetary policy in 40 years aimed at reining in sticky inflation has buoyed banks' interest income.
From Reuters ● Oct. 13, 2023
Even the London General Post Office, which was the swiftest and most reliable postal service in the world, would be flummoxed by that address.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
