lightning

adjective

Definition of lightningnext
as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed he made a lightning dash for the goal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning
  1. rapid
  2. quick
  3. fast
  4. brisk
  5. galloping
  6. swift
Adjective
  • The facts: Shortness of breath, fatigue throughout the day, chest tightness, and a rapid heartbeat are all indications of a potential cardiovascular issue.
    Elizabeth Millard, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Despite the rapid decline of the once-mighty bundle, the traditional ESPN TV model is still a massive moneymaker for Disney.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of rapid
Adjective
  • Short books to read to meet your reading goal Need a short book to cap off your 2024 reading or a quick, immersive read to get you out of a reading slump?
    Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Amidst it all, Paris Hilton, the ultimate Duracell bunny, took a quick break to join Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson and her actor husband Brandon Jack James for a tête-à-tête on a sofa.
    Freya Drohan, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • This approach not only helps companies save time and resources but also enhances the experience for job seekers by providing them with faster feedback and a smoother hiring journey.
    Grace Butler, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
  • At the tail end of the last millennium, the fastest, most powerful road cars went by a magnificent superlative: supercar.
    Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of fast
Adjective
  • On Tuesday, December 10, the duo was spotted out for a brisk walk in New York City together.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
  • In fact, Belmond’s Champenois says its trains do a brisk business of full buyouts, so the dedicated coach is perhaps icing on the cake.
    Doug Gollan, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of brisk
Adjective
  • As his health faded in the last year of his life, Neruda rushed to finish his story, which gives the last chapters of his book a galloping, fragmented quality.
    Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 June 2021
  • The artist was in Times Square last week to offer his latest corrective, unveiling a massive bronze statue of a young African American man in urban streetwear sitting astride a galloping horse.
    NBC News, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2019
Definition of galloping
Adjective
  • Wider international condemnation of the government's response has been swift.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
  • The public backlash and political fallout have been swift and catastrophic for Mr. Yoon.
    Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of swift
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Phrases Containing lightning

Thesaurus Entries Near lightning

lightness

lightning

lightning rod

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on lightning

Nglish: Translation of lightning for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lightning for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lightning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...