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
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
Synonyms
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
The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The mountain had got a couple of feet of fresh snow the previous week, but now winter was in swift retreat and mud season was nigh.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024
In February of 2021, Wallen apologized after a video surfaced of him shouting a racial slur in Nashville that prompted swift backlash from the music industry.
—USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Monday’s announcement was met with swift outcry from LGBTQ rights advocates.
—Justin Gamble, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The challenge of syncing the flights with the moon's swift shadow, which races across the United States at over 1,500 miles per hour, falls on the shoulders of Delta's operations and customer center.
—Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that future U.S. support for Israel's Gaza war depends on the swift implementation of new steps to protect civilians and aid workers.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Apr. 2024
In a swift and strong-armed reversal of fortune, the young couple were immediately surrounded by security guards and escorted underneath the stands.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The One Network solution mostly enables swift resolution of problems occurring one step back or one step up in a company’s supply chain.
—Steve Banker, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
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
Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
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
Adjective
The shower typically takes place from late April to mid-May and is known for producing swift, bright meteors, with speeds reaching up to 66 kilometers per second, about 147,600 miles per hour.
—The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The mountain had got a couple of feet of fresh snow the previous week, but now winter was in swift retreat and mud season was nigh.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024
In February of 2021, Wallen apologized after a video surfaced of him shouting a racial slur in Nashville that prompted swift backlash from the music industry.
—USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Monday’s announcement was met with swift outcry from LGBTQ rights advocates.
—Justin Gamble, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
The challenge of syncing the flights with the moon's swift shadow, which races across the United States at over 1,500 miles per hour, falls on the shoulders of Delta's operations and customer center.
—Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that future U.S. support for Israel's Gaza war depends on the swift implementation of new steps to protect civilians and aid workers.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Apr. 2024
In a swift and strong-armed reversal of fortune, the young couple were immediately surrounded by security guards and escorted underneath the stands.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The One Network solution mostly enables swift resolution of problems occurring one step back or one step up in a company’s supply chain.
—Steve Banker, Forbes, 29 Mar. 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
Examples of birds with this wing type are ducks, falcons, swifts and sandpipers.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near swift
Cite this Entry
“Swift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swift. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swift
1 of 3 adjective1
: 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
noun
ˈswif(t)-nəs
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
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Jonathan 1667–1745 English (Irish-born) satirist
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