swift

[ swift ]

/ swɪft /

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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

[swift-mawth, moth], /ˈswɪft ˌmɔθ, mɒθ/, 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR swift

1 speedy.

2 expeditious.

See synonyms for swift on Thesaurus.com

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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

synonym study for swift

1. See quick.

OTHER WORDS FROM swift

swift·ly, adverbswift·ness, noun

Other definitions 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.

Other definitions 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.

Origin of SWIFT

First recorded in 1970–75

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

How to use swift in a sentence

The change was rapid and swift and now, months into this new behavior, there’s still no standard for what makes a good mask, although we can tell you what makes a bad one.
How well a mask works depends on how well it fits|Kat Eschner|November 20, 2020|Popular-Science
Toshin said that enterprise customers will soon get support for scanning Swift source code for iOS apps.
Mobile security startup Oversecured launches after self-funding $1 million, thanks to bug bounty payouts|Zack Whittaker|November 12, 2020|TechCrunch
Principal investigators from across the Institute are now developing ambitious multidisciplinary ideas for tackling our climate emergency and designing the most effective levers for swift, large-scale change.
Taking action for the common good|Tate Ryan-Mosley|November 9, 2020|MIT Technology Review
It operates via secure email that allows participating National Guard units to diagnose a foreign attack and provide swift mitigation strategies that can be shared with the state.
U.S. says it’s prepared for cyber election threats. But weaknesses remain|Verne Kopytoff|November 2, 2020|Fortune

We had “swift electric cars” and a “perfect” sewage system, raved a 1894 guidebook.
Politics Report: It’s Happening! Plus, the Elections Contest|Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts|October 31, 2020|Voice of San Diego
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
Louis had covered his raging temples with his hand, and he hastened forward with distracted swiftness.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Don't you remember my telling you that Liszt has an inconceivable lightness, swiftness and smoothness of execution?
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Since the time of Linnæus the growth of our knowledge has gone forward with amazing swiftness.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
His right hand dropped with incredible swiftness to his wide black belt, snatched something from a concealed pocket there.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
The little adobe at the desert well leaped at them and fell away behind with the swiftness of thought.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews

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

swift

OTHER WORDS FOR swift

Origin of swift

synonym study for swift

OTHER WORDS FROM swift

Other definitions for swift (2 of 3)

Other definitions for swift (3 of 3)

Origin of SWIFT

Words related to swift

How to use swift in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for swift (1 of 2)

Derived forms of swift

Word Origin for swift

British Dictionary definitions for swift (2 of 2)

Derived forms of Swift