leap
to spring through the air from one point or position to another; jump: to leap over a ditch.
to move or act quickly or suddenly: to leap aside; She leaped at the opportunity.
to pass, come, rise, etc., as if with a jump: to leap to a conclusion; an idea that immediately leaped to mind.
to jump over: to leap a fence.
to pass over as if by a jump.
to cause to leap: to leap a horse.
a spring, jump, or bound; a light, springing movement.
the distance covered in a leap; distance jumped.
a place leaped or to be leaped over or from.
a sudden or abrupt transition: a successful leap from piano class to concert hall.
a sudden and decisive increase: a leap in the company's profits.
Idioms about leap
by leaps and bounds, very rapidly: We are progressing by leaps and bounds.
leap in the dark, an action of which the consequences are unknown: The experiment was a leap in the dark.
leap of faith, an act or instance of accepting or trusting in something that cannot readily be seen or proved.
Origin of leap
1synonym study For leap
Other words for leap
Other words from leap
- leaper, noun
Words Nearby leap
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use leap in a sentence
With this deal, Ambani has taken a giant leap in the retail sector, leaving behind all domestic and international rivals, including Amazon, led by the world’s richest man Jeff Bezos.
Ambani versus Bezos: Who’s winning the battle for India’s $700 billion retail industry | Niharika Sharma | August 31, 2020 | QuartzEven if the available evidence matches both theories, one requires less of a leap.
Third baseman Yoan Moncada and starter Lucas Giolito took big leaps last season, while left fielder Eloy Jiménez and maybe even highly touted Cuban prospect Luis Robert seem poised to do the same this year.
Baseball Will Be Weird This Year. But The Astros And Yankees Are Favorites In The American League … Again. | Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com) | July 21, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightThe discovery of the new tetraquark is a huge leap forward, and is an indication that there are still many new exotic particles out there, waiting for someone to unveil them.
CERN: Physicists Report the Discovery of Unique New Particle | Harry Cliff | July 15, 2020 | Singularity HubNormally we’re kind of chipping away at the problem as opposed to making such a giant leap forward.
A Surprise Discovery Points to the Source of Fast Radio Bursts | Shannon Hall | June 11, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
Peter Christopherson made the leap to life on the bandstand and became a pioneer in the industrial music genre.
Another common prank was to spin the cannon in the direction of the major, causing him to leap out of the way.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor | S. C. Gwynne | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHot orange flames leap into the sky bringing with them the sickening, inescapable stench of death.
It was a small step in learning to stick to my guns, but a leap in my comprehension of phonetics.
But in this case the leap from the known to the unknown is extreme.
She would let him run about for a few moments and then she would leap upon him as if she had nearly lost him.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileySuddenly his quick eye lit on something in the gravel path and his heart gave a great leap.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeI sprang forward to leap after her, but hands grasped me and flung me back so violently that I fell down on the platform.
Uncanny Tales | VariousThis had the effect of causing the fourth lion to break cover and leap upon a rock as the first had done.
Hunting the Lions | R.M. BallantyneThus age and avarice can always over-leap barriers which, to the young and romantic, are insurmountable.
The World Before Them | Susanna Moodie
British Dictionary definitions for leap
/ (liːp) /
(intr) to jump suddenly from one place to another
(intr often foll by at) to move or react quickly
(tr) to jump over
to come into prominence rapidly: the thought leapt into his mind
(tr) to cause (an animal, esp a horse) to jump a barrier
the act of jumping
a spot from which a leap was or may be made
the distance of a leap
an abrupt change or increase
Also called (US and Canadian): skip music a relatively large melodic interval, esp in a solo part
a leap in the dark an action performed without knowledge of the consequences
by leaps and bounds with unexpectedly rapid progress
Origin of leap
1Derived forms of leap
- leaper, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with leap
In addition to the idioms beginning with leap
- leap in the dark
- leap of faith
also see:
- by leaps and bounds
- look before you leap
- quantum leap
Also see underjump.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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