swift

[ swift ]

/ swɪft /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR swift ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, swift·er, swift·est.

moving or capable of moving with great speed or velocity; fleet; rapid: a swift ship.

coming, happening, or performed quickly or without delay: a swift decision.

quick or prompt to act or respond: swift to jump to conclusions.

Slang. quick to perceive or understand; smart; clever: You can't cheat him, he's too swift.

adverb

swiftly.

noun

any of numerous long-winged, swallowlike birds of the family Apodidae, related to the hummingbirds and noted for their rapid flight.

tree swift.

spiny lizard.

Also called swift moth, ghost moth. any of several brown or gray moths, the males of which are usually white, of the family Hepialidae, noted for rapid flight.

an adjustable device upon which a hank of yarn is placed in order to wind off skeins or balls.

the main cylinder on a machine for carding flax.

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What does “yare” mean?

quick; agile; lively.

expressive of or characterized by sorrow.

having or characterized by persistent or earnest desire.

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Origin of swift

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective and adverb), Old English (adjective); akin to Old English swīfan “to revolve,” Old Norse svīfa “to rove”; see swivel

SYNONYMS FOR swift

1 speedy.

2 expeditious.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR swift ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for swift

1. See quick.

OTHER WORDS FROM swift

swiftly, adverbswiftness, noun

Definition for swift (2 of 3)

Swift

[ swift ]

/ swɪft /

noun

Gustavus Franklin, 1839–1903, U.S. meat packer.

Jonathan "Isaac Bickerstaff", 1667–1745, English satirist and clergyman, born in Ireland.

Definition for swift (3 of 3)

SWIFT

[ swift ]

/ swɪft /

noun

Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication: an international consortium that routes instructions concerning transfer of funds between financial institutions.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for swift

We will not be able to win it back any more easily or swiftly that Roy Hobbs.
After Torture Report, Our Moral Authority As a Nation Is Gone|Nick Gillespie|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Republicans took control of the state legislature and swiftly eliminated the cap on charter schools.
At This Creepy Libertarian Charter School, Kids Must Swear ‘to Be Obedient to Those in Authority’|ProPublica|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fergie almost landed a U.N. role until the offer was swiftly dropped, amid rumours both of pressure from Buckingham Palace.
What The Hell is Posh Spice Doing At The UN?|Tom Sykes|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It will swiftly become clear that there is no room in this starry-eyed arrangement for a compact with Washington.
John Kerry Just Visited. But Should We Just Forget About India?|Tunku Varadarajan|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The accused were swiftly removed from the court before they could issue any statement.
Egyptian Court Hands Down Stiff Sentences for Al-Jazeera Journalists|Jesse Rosenfeld|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Surely it was too goodly a residence that we should be so swiftly, so ruthlessly, evicted from it!
The Poison Belt|Arthur Conan Doyle
Loosing his hold upon Esther, he swiftly shifted his weapon to his other hand and brought down a blow on the boy's back.
A Dear Little Girl's Thanksgiving Holidays|Amy E. Blanchard
The Spaniard, with fire and sword, swiftly followed Vespucci.
The Birth of the Nation|Mrs. Roger A. Pryor
The giant's liking for her, boyish at times, or swiftly changing to bolder appraisal, grew daily.
A Man to His Mate|J. Allan Dunn
A fierce exclamation of fury broke from the stranger's lips, and he swiftly thrust the ring into his pocket.
Frank Merriwell's Chums|Burt L. Standish

British Dictionary definitions for swift (1 of 2)

swift

/ (swɪft) /

adjective

moving or able to move quickly; fast

occurring or performed quickly or suddenly; instanta swift response

(postpositive foll by to) prompt to act or respondswift to take revenge

adverb

swiftly or quickly
(in combination)swift-moving

noun

any bird of the families Apodidae and Hemiprocnidae, such as Apus apus (common swift) of the Old World: order Apodiformes. They have long narrow wings and spend most of the time on the wing

(sometimes capital) a variety of domestic fancy pigeon originating in Egypt and Syria and having an appearance somewhat similar to a swift

short for swift moth

any of certain North American lizards of the genera Sceloporus and Uta that can run very rapidly: family Iguanidae (iguanas)

the main cylinder in a carding machine

an expanding circular frame used to hold skeins of silk, wool, etc

Derived forms of swift

swiftly, adverbswiftness, noun

Word Origin for swift

Old English, from swīfan to turn; related to Old Norse svifa to rove, Old Frisian swīvia to waver, Old High German sweib a reversal; see swivel

British Dictionary definitions for swift (2 of 2)

Swift

/ (swɪft) /

noun

Graham Colin. born 1949, English writer: his novels include Waterland (1983), Last Orders (1996), which won the Booker prize, and The Light of Day (2002)

Jonathan. 1667–1745, Anglo-Irish satirist and churchman, who became dean of St Patrick's, Dublin, in 1713. His works include A Tale of a Tub (1704) and Gulliver's Travels (1726)

Derived forms of Swift

Swiftian, adjective

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

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swift

adjective, swift·er, swift·est.

adverb

noun

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Origin of swift

SYNONYMS FOR swift

synonym study for swift

OTHER WORDS FROM swift

Definition for swift (2 of 3)

noun

Definition for swift (3 of 3)

noun

Example sentences from the Web for swift

British Dictionary definitions for swift (1 of 2)

adjective

adverb

noun

Derived forms of swift

Word Origin for swift

British Dictionary definitions for swift (2 of 2)

noun

Derived forms of Swift

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

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WORD OF THE DAY

swift

adjective, swift·er, swift·est.

adverb

noun

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Origin of swift

SYNONYMS FOR swift

synonym study for swift

OTHER WORDS FROM swift

Definition for swift (2 of 3)

noun

Definition for swift (3 of 3)

noun

Words related to swift

Example sentences from the Web for swift

British Dictionary definitions for swift (1 of 2)

adjective

adverb

noun

Derived forms of swift

Word Origin for swift

British Dictionary definitions for swift (2 of 2)

noun

Derived forms of Swift