# swift

/ˈswɪft/ (US) · /swˈɪft/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/swift
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. fast or quick

adjective · CEFR B2 · Literary

moving or happening very quickly.

For teachers: characterised by great speed, velocity, or rapidity of action.

- The company took swift action to fix the problem before customers complained.
- The government's swift response to the economic crisis prevented a total collapse of the banking sector during the winter months.

### 4. programming language

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a modern computer language created by Apple for making apps.

For teachers: a general-purpose, multi-paradigm compiled programming language developed by Apple Inc. for iOS, macOS, and other platforms.

- He decided to learn Swift so he could build his own iPhone apps.
- The developer migrated the legacy codebase to Swift to take advantage of its superior memory safety and performance features.

## Examples

- The company promised a swift response to my complaint.
- The government took swift action to stabilize the economy after the sudden market crash.
- The river's swift current made the crossing dangerous for the inexperienced hikers, who struggled to maintain their footing against the surging water.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.