leap

[ leep ]

/ lip /

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See synonyms for: leap / leaped / leaping / leapt on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), leaped or leapt

[lept, leept], /lɛpt, lipt/, 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.

verb (used with object), leaped or leapt

[lept, leept], /lɛpt, lipt/, 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.

noun

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR leap

1 bound.

See synonyms for leap on Thesaurus.com

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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

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

synonym study for leap

1. See jump.

OTHER WORDS FROM leap

leaper, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use leap in a sentence

A boy in shorts kicked the game ball into the goal, then leaped in celebration.
Why Americans Should Love the World Cup|Sean Wilsey|June 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once Ranbaxy got FDA approval, it leaped straight into making commercial-size batches without any meaningful dry runs.
Those Generic Drugs May Not Have Been What You Thought They Were|Megan McArdle|May 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Every once in awhile somebody spotted a coyote scurrying past along the side of the road, and the whole bus leaped in its seat.
At the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, a Steady Drip of Toxic Trouble|Eric Nusbaum|February 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Top Gun director Tony Scott leaped to his death off a Los Angeles bridge on Sunday.
Director Tony Scott’s Death Seen as Suicide After He Leaped From Bridge|Christine Pelisek|August 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Gadell leaped for cover behind a stoop and shot back, emptying his .38-caliber Smith Wesson.
‘Glock’ by Paul Barrett: Interview and Excerpt|The Daily Beast|January 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Most of the men leaped up, caught hold of spears or knives, and rushed out.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
He leaped out to see what had happened, and, after a few perplexed and exhausting moments, remembered.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Thinking to escape and summon assistance from the cantonment, Douglas mounted the wall and leaped into the moat.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Willoughby leaped from the walls, crossed the river, and met his death while striving to reach Meerut.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Isabel lifted her head still higher, annoyed at the angry blood that leaped to her face.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for leap

leap

/ (liːp) /

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 rapidlythe thought leapt into his mind

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

noun

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

Derived forms of leap

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with leap

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.

leap

OTHER WORDS FOR leap

Idioms about leap

Origin of leap

synonym study for leap

OTHER WORDS FROM leap

Words related to leap

How to use leap in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for leap

Derived forms of leap

Word Origin for leap

Other Idioms and Phrases with leap