swiftly
gb/swˈɪftli/ us/swˈɪftli/
B1
English
~ 3300
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B1
property
1
quickly; at high speed
Happening or moving very fast.
Usage pattern:
to [verb] swiftly
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'swiftly' with 'softly' due to similar sounds, but they have very different meanings.
Synonyms
quickly (Most common synonym in everyday English; interchangeable in most contexts.)
|
rapidly (Slightly more formal than 'swiftly', often used in business or technical contexts.)
Antonyms
slowly (Indicates a lack of speed; the direct opposite of 'swiftly' in describing rate of action.)
Collocations
move swiftly
|act swiftly
|respond swiftly
|run swiftly
|change swiftly
Themes
daily life
|communication
|movement
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The police acted swiftly to catch the thief.
- She moved swiftly through the crowded room.
- The company responded swiftly to the customer's complaint.
- He finished the task swiftly and efficiently.
- Events unfolded swiftly after the announcement.
Learner examples
- The cat ran swiftly across the road.
- He finished his work swiftly.
- They acted swiftly to help the man.
- The train moved swiftly through the city.
Grammar
Dictionary form
swiftly
IPA
GB/swˈɪftli/
US/swˈɪftli/
Syllables & stress
swiftly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (swiftly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: swiftly
- Plural: swiftlies
Word family
Expressions
act swiftly
1/ˈækt swˈɪftli/
fixed phrase
take action without delay
To do something fast, without waiting.
Examples
- We must act swiftly to solve this problem.
- The firefighters acted swiftly to control the blaze.
move swiftly
1/mˈuv swˈɪftli/
fixed phrase
change position rapidly
To go from one place to another quickly.
Examples
- She moved swiftly through the airport crowd.
- The deer moved swiftly into the forest.
respond swiftly
1/ɹɪspˈɑnd swˈɪftli/
fixed phrase
reply or react quickly
To give an answer or take action quickly after something happens.
Examples
- The team responded swiftly to the emergency call.
- We need to respond swiftly to customer feedback.