adjective

swift

SWIFT/swɪft/

Moving or happening quickly.

The swift cheetah races across the ground.

A cheetah racing across a sparse patch of ground in a fully extended airborne sprint, with kicked-up dust emphasizing rapid movement.

Etymology

swiftOld Englishmoving quickly, done at high speed

Old English swift covered both rapid movement and things done at high speed, matching the adjective's modern range. The suggestion that its original image was “turning quickly” remains tentative.

In context

Under The Sun25:23

pushed for swift action, quickly recognizing the National Transitional Council, which bolstered its legitimacy.

The Gold Dinar: Gaddafi's Challenge to the Dollar

More examples

The company took swift action after the complaint.
A swift current carried the branch downstream.
Her reply was swifter than I expected.

Forms

swift · swifter · swiftest

swiftly adverb — quickly

Similar words

fast: The more ordinary adjective for high speed.
rapid: Often describes the speed of a process or change.