leap

American  

[leep] / lip /

verb (used without object)

leaped, leapt, leaping

1. to spring through the air from one point or position to another; jump.

   to leap over a ditch.

   Synonyms:

   bound

2. to move or act quickly or suddenly.

   to leap aside; She leaped at the opportunity.

3. to pass, come, rise, etc., as if with a jump.

   to leap to a conclusion; an idea that immediately leaped to mind.

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verb (used with object)

leaped, leapt, leaping

1. to jump over.

   to leap a fence.

2. to pass over as if by a jump.

3. to cause to leap.

   to leap a horse.

noun

1. a spring, jump, or bound; a light, springing movement.

2. the distance covered in a leap; distance jumped.

3. a place leaped or to be leaped over or from.

4. a sudden or abrupt transition.

   a successful leap from piano class to concert hall.

5. a sudden and decisive increase.

   a leap in the company's profits.

idioms

1. leap in the dark, an action of which the consequences are unknown.

   The experiment was a leap in the dark.

2. leap of faith, an act or instance of accepting or trusting in something that cannot readily be seen or proved.

3. by leaps and bounds, very rapidly.

   We are progressing by leaps and bounds.

leap British  

/ liːp /

verb

1. (intr) to jump suddenly from one place to another

2. to move or react quickly

3. (tr) to jump over

4. to come into prominence rapidly

   the thought leapt into his mind

5. (tr) to cause (an animal, esp a horse) to jump a barrier

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noun

1. the act of jumping

2. a spot from which a leap was or may be made

3. the distance of a leap

4. an abrupt change or increase

5. Also called (US and Canadian): skip.  music a relatively large melodic interval, esp in a solo part

6. an action performed without knowledge of the consequences

7. with unexpectedly rapid progress

leap More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing leap

• by leaps and bounds
• jump
• look before you leap
• quantum leap

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Usage

What does leap mean? To leap means to spring or jump from one point to another, as in Sophie leaped over the hole to avoid falling in. A leap is such a jump. To leap also means to move or act suddenly, as in Santiago leapt out of the way of the dogs running toward him. This action, too, is a leap. We use leap figuratively, as well. For example, we might call new software a leap forward in technology or say that a new band has leapt to the top of the charts. People often also leap to conclusions—that is, they make conclusions without hearing all the facts first. They are figuratively jumping over the facts to the conclusion. We can use leap and jump to mean the same things, but there is a bit of a difference. In a leap, the place you land is different from the place you started, while a jump can be straight up and straight back down. Leap appears in a few different idioms. If you’re doing something by leaps and bounds, it means you’re progressing quickly. A leap in the dark is an action with unknown consequences. A leap of faith is trusting in something that cannot be seen or proven. You might also say that your heart leapt into your throat, referring to the sensation in your throat when something scary happens. The past tense of leap can be either leaped or leapt. Example: The movable-type printing press was a great leap forward in technology.

Related Words

See jump.

Other Word Forms

• leaper noun

Etymology

Origin of leap

First recorded before 900; Middle English lepen, Old English hlēapan “to leap, run”; cognate with German laufen, Old Norse hlaupa, Gothic hlaupan

Explanation

The word leap is another word for "jump," but it gives a slightly different image — one of lightness and quickness, perhaps a movement with a little more spring in it than a regular jump. Leap comes from the Old English hlēapan, "to leap or run." The word can convey a happy feeling, as when William Wordsworth writes, "My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky." As a side note, the game of leap-frog appears to have had its beginnings in the 1590s.

Example Sentences

Organic volumes for the first three months of the year were 2.8% higher than in the same period last year, with a leap in soft-drinks volumes boosting the total.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

The shift from a package of chicken breasts to a whole bird can feel like a leap.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

When you are a film critic who already hoards DVDs, getting infected with the VHS bug doesn’t take much of a leap.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

A great World Cup game is like nothing else, but this is a freshly expanded World Cup, from 32 to 48 teams, a major leap which will likely increase the number of dreary games.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Roz bounded over the rushing river in a single leap, landed without breaking stride, and kept running.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Related Words

• ascend
• bounce
• bound
• hop
• rise
• rocket
• skip
• soar
• surge
• vault