swift

[ swift ]

/ swɪft /

SEE MORE 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.

Nearby words

sweven, sweyn, swff, swg, swidden, swift, swift current, swift fox, swift moth, swift's disease, swift, jonathan

Origin of swift

before 900; Middle English (adj. and adv.), Old English (adj.); akin to Old English swīfan to revolve, Old Norse svīfa to rove; see swivel

SYNONYMS FOR swift

1 speedy. See quick.

2 expeditious.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR swift ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

swift·ly, adverbswift·ness, noun

Can be confused

fast quick rapid swift (see synonym study at quick)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for swiftness

The swiftness and high case-rate of Chikungunya is almost unprecedented in the annals of horrible viral outbreaks.
Chikungunya: The Mosquito-Borne Virus That Contorts Your Limbs|Kent Sepkowitz|March 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Presumably he realizes he could spend a fortune and still get fired by the electorate with Apprentice-like swiftness.
The GOP's 2012 Fantasies|Howard Kurtz|December 26, 2010|DAILY BEAST
"I guess I've got a nose," retorted Kittie, beginning to beat eggs with a swiftness that brought high color to her cheeks.
Six Girls|Fannie Belle Irving
Then the very next morning, at dawn-time, Jack arose and put on his invisible coat and his slippers of swiftness.
English Fairy Tales|Flora Annie Steel

Frank marveled at the swiftness with which Old Rocks swung over the ground.
Frank Merriwell's Bravery|Burt L. Standish
It all helps to keep up the liveliness and augment the general sense of swiftness and energy and confusion and pow-wow.
Following the Equator, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
By all the powers of swiftness, but I shall try for once if the feathers shall not carry the flesh away.'
The Three Perils of Man, Vol. 3 (of 3)|James Hogg

British Dictionary definitions for swiftness (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

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 swiftness (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

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

swift

adjective, swift·er, swift·est.

adverb

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of swift

SYNONYMS FOR swift

Related forms

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for swiftness

British Dictionary definitions for swiftness (1 of 2)

swift

adjective

adverb

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for swift

British Dictionary definitions for swiftness (2 of 2)

Swift

noun

Derived Forms