swift

swift — adjective

1. Done, moving, or happening at high speed, often in a smooth way.

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Done, moving, or happening at high speed, often in a smooth way.

Example

The rescue team gave a swift response to the call from the mountain.

swift response [collocation — quick reaction to a situation]

Quan made a swift decision to accept the job before the offer expired.

swift decision [collocation]

Common collocations
  • swift response
  • swift action
  • swift decision
  • swift movement
  • swift change
Synonyms
  • fast

    most common everyday word; used for people, vehicles, and actions

  • quick

    focuses on the short time something takes

  • rapid

    suggests continuous fast movement or change

  • speedy

    emphasises completing an action without delay

Antonyms
  • slow
  • gradual

    emphasises change happening over a long period

Grammar Patterns

swift + noun

be swift + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Often used before nouns describing reactions or movements, such as response, decision, action, or turn. The pattern 'be swift to + verb' is common for describing someone who notices or reacts quickly.

Common Mistakes

The car was very swift in the race.
The car was very fast in the race.
'swift' is less natural than 'fast' for describing the physical speed of a vehicle; use 'fast' for everyday objects.

swift — noun

swift — adverb

Word family

  • swiftly
    adverbB1
  • swiftness
    nounB2
  • swifter
    adjectiveB1
  • swiftest
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe high speed, but they differ in nuance and use. 'Fast' is the most common and general word — you can use it for vehicles, people, actions, and processes. 'Quick' focuses on the short time something takes (a quick meal, a quick reply) and is more common in conversation. 'Rapid' suggests continuous or accelerating movement (rapid growth, rapid heartbeat) and sounds slightly more formal. 'Speedy' emphasises completing an action efficiently (speedy delivery, speedy recovery) and is used in business and service contexts. 'Swift' adds a sense of smoothness and effortlessness — it is less common than 'fast' but carries a more polished tone. For example: 'The driver was fast' sounds natural; 'The driver was swift' sounds literary. But 'They took swift action' is a natural collocation where 'fast action' would sound less natural.

fast ↗quick ↗rapid ↗speedy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • swift as the wind
  • swift and decisive
  • swift and sure

Prepositions

  • swift in
  • swift to

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'swift' comes from Old English 'swift' (meaning 'moving quickly'), which developed from the Proto-Germanic root '*swiftaz'. This root is related to '*swīfan', meaning 'to move in a course, to revolve'. The bird sense appeared in the 1600s, named for the bird's extremely fast flight. The lizard sense emerged in 19th-century American English, referring to several quick-running lizard species.