swift
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
A small bird that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
swiftIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈswɪft
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A small bird that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight
Common western lizard; seen on logs or rocks
An extinct town in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States.
uk
Acronym of South Wales Integrated Fast transit.
entomology
Any of various fast-flying hesperiid butterflies.
entomology
A moth of the family Hepialidae, swift moth, ghost moth.
adjective
Fast; quick; rapid.
Capable of moving at high speeds.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A small bird that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight
Used this way, swift is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use swift
- “The swift bird flew past us at incredible speed.”
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: fast
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.