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swifter

British  
/ ˈswɪftə /

noun

  1. nautical a line run around the ends of capstan bars to prevent their falling out of their sockets

"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

Etymology

Origin of swifter

C17: related to the nautical term swift to fasten with tight-drawn ropes; probably Scandinavian in origin: compare Old Norse svipta to reef

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Its taxi fleet is contracting at a swifter pace, with the fleet size falling 8.7% on year in 4Q 2025, double the 4.1% drop in 4Q 2024, the head of research notes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

O’Brien’s rise to Olympian in the two-person bobsled, the second-fastest sliding sport of the Winter Games, has been even swifter.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

"With enormous size, a powerful bite force and stereoscopic vision, T. rex was a formidable predator, but it did not reign uncontested. Darting alongside was Nanotyrannus -- a leaner, swifter and more agile hunter."

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

She has called for swifter rate reductions and a greater focus on regional financial stability.

From Barron's • Oct. 14, 2025

For yet another weapon, swifter than hunger, the Lord of the Dark Tower had: dread and despair.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.