Synonyms Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for leap on Thesaurus.com verb (used without object), leaped or leapt, leap·ing. 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. Show More
verb (used with object), leaped or leapt, leap·ing. to jump over: to leap a fence. to pass over as if by a jump. to cause to leap: to leap a horse. Show More
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. Show More
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. Show More
Origin of leap before 900; Middle English lepen, Old English hlēapan to leap, run; cognate with German laufen, Old Norse hlaupa, Gothic hlaupan
Related forms leap·er , noun Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for leap upswing ,
upsurge ,
surge ,
rocket ,
skip ,
rise ,
ascend ,
bound ,
bounce ,
hop ,
vault ,
soar ,
caper ,
frisk ,
escalation ,
spring ,
advance ,
cavort ,
escalate ,
mount Examples from the Web for leap Contemporary Examples of leap 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.
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.
Obviously, Sister Cristina had a change of heart—or a leap of faith.
Historical Examples of leap Again we take a leap of about twenty years, and alight in the midst of the Revolution.
He had but to say to me, 'Leap into the water,' and I would not have stopped to pull off my coat.
He was throwing back the robe to leap from the sleigh when the figure reached him.
Kirkwood rose, balancing himself against the leap and sway of the boat.
Tired and weighted, she dared not try the leap ; she skirted around.
British Dictionary definitions for leap verb leaps , leaping , leapt or leaped (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 Show More
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 Show More
Derived Forms leaper , noun Word Origin for leap Old English hlēapan; related to Gothic hlaupan, German laufen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for leap v. c.1200, from Old English hleapan "to jump, run, leap" (class VII strong verb; past tense hleop , past participle hleapen ), from Proto-Germanic *khlaupan (cf. Old Saxon hlopan , Old Norse hlaupa , Old Frisian hlapa , Dutch lopen , Old High German hlouffan , German laufen "to run," Gothic us-hlaupan "to jump up"), of uncertain origin, with no known cognates beyond Germanic. Leap-frog , the children's game, is attested by that name from 1590s; figurative use by 1704.
First loke and aftirward lepe [proverb recorded from mid-15c.] Related: Leaped ; leaping .
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n. c.1200, from Old English hliep , hlyp (West Saxon), *hlep (Mercian, Northumbrian) "a leap, bound, spring, sudden movement; thing to leap from;" common Germanic (cf. Old Frisian hlep , Dutch loop , Old High German hlouf , German lauf ); from the root of leap (v.). Leaps has been paired with bounds since at least 1720.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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.
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
