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lightning

adjective

Definition of lightningnext
as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed he made a lightning dash for the goal

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lightning Digital assets are moving at hyper-lightning speed. — Manny Khan, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning
  1. rapid
  2. quick
  3. fast
  4. brisk
  5. galloping
  6. swift
Adjective
  • How drone defense works One of the challenges the drone defense industry faces is keeping up with the rapid advancement in technology.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child told Rolling Stone recently that the group may face a lot of pressure due to their rapid ascent.
    — William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of rapid
Adjective
  • And guard and team leader Robert Hunt told reporters afterward that this officiating crew in particular is quick to call unnecsssary roughness.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026
  • So for him, that would be a quick burst and some lateral side-to-side stuff.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • The wine industry has largely convinced itself that faster, cheaper, and easier is the path to a better product.
    — Peter Hahn, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
  • To put it into proportion, imagine not only launching the smaller, yet still skyscraper-sized Apollo-era Saturn V and then expecting to not only get the entire rocket back, but reuse it again after a fast turnaround.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of fast
Adjective
  • Fall’s brisk weather brings with it the promise of cozy knitwear, cashmere socks, and roaring fires—perhaps the only downside is that the grey skies exacerbate the our considerable vitamin D deficiency.
    — Violet Hayward, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Someone could take a brisk walk, climb stairs or use a stationary bike.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of brisk
Adjective
  • As his health faded in the last year of his life, Neruda rushed to finish his story, which gives the last chapters of his book a galloping, fragmented quality.
    — Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 June 2021
  • Designed by renowned architect Dominique Perrault, its four stories tilting forward are said to evoke a galloping horse.
    — Rob Hodgetts at Longchamp, CNN, 15 Oct. 2019
Definition of galloping
Adjective
  • Digging into the character was all the more challenging for both Pitt and Ayer given the compressed pre-production schedule and swift shoot, which required them to hit the ground running.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The Taliban’s return to power was swift, though preventing it had ostensibly been the entire point of the decades-long occupation, the bombs, the hundreds of thousands of lives lost.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of swift

Phrases Containing lightning

Browse Nearby Words

lightness
lightning
lightning rod
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lightning

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lightning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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