- 1happening or done quickly and immediately; doing something quickly swift action a swift decision He rose to his feet in one swift movement. swift to do something The White House was swift to deny the rumors.
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- 2moving very quickly; able to move very quickly a swift current a swift runner Which Word?fast / quick / rapidThese adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:
fast ~ quick ~ rapid ~ car glance change train look growth runner reply increase pace decision decline lane way progress - Fast is used especially to describe a person or thing that moves or is able to move at great speed.
- Quick is more often used to describe something that is done in a short time or without delay.
- Rapid, swift, and speedy are more formal words.
- Rapid is most commonly used to describe the speed at which something changes. It is not used to describe the speed at which something moves or is done:a rapid train We had a rapid coffee.
- Swift usually describes something that happens or is done quickly and immediately:a swift decision The government took swift action.
- Speedy has a similar meaning:a speedy recovery. It is used less often to talk about the speed at which something moves:a speedy car
- For the use of fast and quick as adverbs, see the usage note at quick.
adverb Surprise was swiftly followed by outrage. She moved swiftly to the rescue.
noun [uncountable, singular] He moved with surprising swiftness for a man of his age.See swift in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: swift