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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use leap in a sentence
A boy in shorts kicked the game ball into the goal, then leaped in celebration.
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 | THE DAILY BEASTEvery 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 | THE DAILY BEASTTop 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 | THE DAILY BEASTGadell 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 | THE DAILY BEAST
Most of the men leaped up, caught hold of spears or knives, and rushed out.
The Giant of the North | R.M. BallantyneHe leaped out to see what had happened, and, after a few perplexed and exhausting moments, remembered.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeThinking to escape and summon assistance from the cantonment, Douglas mounted the wall and leaped into the moat.
The Red Year | Louis TracyWilloughby leaped from the walls, crossed the river, and met his death while striving to reach Meerut.
The Red Year | Louis TracyIsabel lifted her head still higher, annoyed at the angry blood that leaped to her face.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
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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