swift

1 of 3

adjective

1
: moving or capable of moving with great speed
a swift runner
2
: occurring suddenly or within a very short time
a swift transition
3
: quick to respond : ready

swift

2 of 3

adverb

: swiftly
swift-flowing

swift

3 of 3

noun

1
: any of several lizards (especially of the genus Sceloporus) that run swiftly
2
: a reel for winding yarn or thread
3
: any of numerous small plainly colored birds (family Apodidae) that are related to the hummingbirds but superficially much resemble swallows
Choose the Right Synonym for swift

fast, rapid, swift, fleet, quick, speedy, hasty, expeditious mean moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity.

fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves

fast horses

and rapid to the movement itself.

rapid current

swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment

speedy delivery of mail

and may also suggest unusual velocity.

hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

Examples of swift in a Sentence

Adjective a swift and accurate response the sleekest, swiftest boat ever to have sailed in the regatta Adverb tried to cross the swift-flowing river
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The reaction online was swift, with employees and workplace advocates worrying about a loss of privacy. Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Gary Lawson spotted the woman struggling in the cold water and swift current, the sheriff’s office said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024 Even as the character gains in physical confidence and emotional stature, the swift and spindly Chalamet never fully sheds his boyish vulnerability. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2024 This advancement serves to mitigate the risks associated with miscommunication by enabling swift prototyping. Sunny Pokala, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Progression can be swift, with staff accountants quickly moving from $50,000 to higher roles like finance manager at $70,000 within a year. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 Sure, a chipped or sharp nail can be annoying, and these can ease that frustration in one swift clip. Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2024 At the same time, healthcare is grappling with the cellular outage from AT&T and hoping for a swift coverage restoration. David Chou, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 If the Tu-160 bomber that Mr. Putin clambered aboard on Wednesday ever dropped its bombs on the United States or a NATO nation, the retaliation would most likely be swift. David E. Sanger, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Adverb
That trip was referenced in the whistle-blower complaint that sparked the House’s swift-moving impeachment inquiry. Jennifer Jacobs, Time, 17 Oct. 2019 As of Monday, Golden Police Chief Bill Kilpatrick and Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Schrader are restricting water activities on Clear Creek because of swift-moving water and floating debris. Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post, 1 July 2019 By The Numbers 5 The forecast for Colorado’s 2019 whitewater rafting season: Rad, thanks to epic snowfall this winter that will likely spell swift-moving rivers. Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 19 June 2019 The forecast for Colorado’s 2019 whitewater rafting season: Rad, thanks to epic snowfall this winter that will likely spell swift-moving rivers. Brittany Anas, The Know, 18 June 2019 The Trump Administration’s swift-moving plan to promote 5G networks is running into resistance from the weather-forecasting community. Drew Fitzgerald, WSJ, 14 May 2019
Noun
With 10 wins on Sunday, Taylor swift pulled into a tie with Drake for all-time BBMA wins at 39 each. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023 Advertisement During the bird’s spring and fall migration, Audubon San Diego staff and volunteers monitor the number of vaux’s swift that roost in San Diego. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2023 Taylor swift announced that the Eras Tour concert film will arrive one-day with early-access showings in the U.S. and Canada. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2023 But black swifts are spotted so rarely in their wintering grounds that the Cornell team cannot include the birds on its stewardship maps. Emily Anthes, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023 Colorado’s cliffs and caves also provide homes for one of the most mysterious migrating birds: the black swift, which sometimes breeds behind waterfalls. Emily Anthes, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023 And consequences are harsher for the swift. Alexandre V. Palaoro, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2022 Stoudamire believes that Georgia Tech’s history, name recognition, and location in a high school basketball hotbed will make the rebuild swift. Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Mar. 2023 Two roads that look and function like freeways were repeatedly widened into channels of swift-moving traffic in the quest for auto-dependency. Curbed, 19 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English swīfan to revolve — more at swivel

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swift was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near swift

Cite this Entry

“Swift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swift. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

swift

1 of 3 adjective
1
: moving or capable of moving with great speed
a swift runner
2
: occurring suddenly or within a very short time
a swift change in weather
swiftly adverb
swiftness
ˈswif(t)-nəs
noun

swift

2 of 3 adverb
: in a swift manner

swift

3 of 3 noun
: any of numerous small mostly dark birds that are related to the hummingbirds but resemble swallows

Biographical Definition

Swift 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Gustavus Franklin 1839–1903 American meatpacker

Swift

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Jonathan 1667–1745 English (Irish-born) satirist
Swiftian adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on swift

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