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View synonyms for

swift

1

[ swift ]

adjective

swifter, swiftest.
  1. moving or capable of moving with great speed or velocity; fleet; rapid:

    a swift ship.

    Synonyms:

  2. coming, happening, or performed quickly or without delay:

    a swift decision.

    Synonyms:

  3. quick or prompt to act or respond:

    swift to jump to conclusions.

  4. Slang. quick to perceive or understand; smart; clever:

    You can't cheat him, he's too swift.



adverb

  1. swiftly.

noun

  1. any of numerous long-winged, swallowlike birds of the family Apodidae, related to the hummingbirds and noted for their rapid flight.
  2. Also called swift moth [swift, mawth, moth], any of several brown or gray moths, the males of which are usually white, of the family Hepialidae, noted for rapid flight.
  3. an adjustable device upon which a hank of yarn is placed in order to wind off skeins or balls.
  4. the main cylinder on a machine for carding flax.

Swift

2

[ swift ]

noun

  1. Gustavus Franklin, 1839–1903, U.S. meat packer.
  2. Jonathan Isaac Bickerstaff, 1667–1745, English satirist and clergyman, born in Ireland.

SWIFT

3

[ swift ]

noun

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

swift

1

/ ɪڳ /

adjective

  1. moving or able to move quickly; fast
  2. occurring or performed quickly or suddenly; instant

    a swift response

  3. postpositivefoll byto prompt to act or respond

    swift to take revenge

“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

adverb

    1. swiftly or quickly
    2. ( in combination )

      swift-moving

“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

noun

  1. 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
  2. sometimes capital a variety of domestic fancy pigeon originating in Egypt and Syria and having an appearance somewhat similar to a swift
  3. short for swift moth
  4. any of certain North American lizards of the genera Sceloporus and Uta that can run very rapidly: family Iguanidae (iguanas)
  5. the main cylinder in a carding machine
  6. an expanding circular frame used to hold skeins of silk, wool, etc
“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

2

/ ɪڳ /

noun

  1. SwiftGraham Colin1949MBritishWRITING: novelist 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)
  2. SwiftJonathan16671745MAnglo-IrishWRITING: satiristRELIGION: clergyman 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)
“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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Derived Forms

  • ˈɾڳٱ, adverb
  • ˈɾڳٲԱ, noun
  • ˈɾڳپ, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • ɾڳ· adverb
  • ɾڳ·Ա noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of swift1

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

Origin of swift2

First recorded in 1970–75
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Word History and Origins

Origin of swift1

Old English, from īڲ to turn; related to Old Norse svifa to rove, Old Frisian ī to waver, Old High German sweib a reversal; see swivel
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Synonym Study

See quick.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Summer visitors, such as swallows and swifts, can expect to find a plentiful food supply, with insects on the wing.

From

He added that he expected a "swift and fulsome" apology from the MSP.

From

Ordained a decade later, he won swift promotion, becoming provincial superior for Argentina in 1973.

From

The foothill community sits not far from where the Eaton fire broke out, and its evacuations were swift, with several of the first fire crews arriving there.

From

But to Landon’s credit, his direction keeps the pace swift and the tension mounting.

From

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swiddenSwift Current