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Early vs Swift - What's the difference?

early | swift |

As adjectives the difference between early and swift

is that early is at a time in advance of the usual or expected event while swift is fast; quick; rapid.

As adverbs the difference between early and swift

is that early is at a time before expected; sooner than usual while swift is swiftly.

As nouns the difference between early and swift

is that early is a shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day while swift is the current of a stream.

As a proper noun Swift is

{{surname|from=nicknames}}, originally a nickname for a swift or quick person.

As an initialism SWIFT is

society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.

early

English

Adjective

(er)
  • At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=28, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= High and wet , passage=Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early , intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels and even whole villages. Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge.}}
  • Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.
  • Near the start or beginning.
  • *
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage='Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= The attack of the MOOCs , passage=Dotcom mania was slow in coming to higher education, but now it has the venerable industry firmly in its grip. Since the launch early last year of Udacity and Coursera, two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations.}}
  • Having begun to occur; in its early stages.

    • Synonyms

    * (at a time in advance of the usual): premature * (near the start): first

    Antonyms

    * (at a time in advance of the usual): late * : terminal

    Derived terms

    (Derived terms) * earliness * early bath * early bird/the early bird catches the worm * early doors * early grave * early innings * earlyish * Early Latin * early modern * early music * early on * early purple orchid * early retirement * early spider orchid * early syphilis * * early warning radar * early winter cress * early withdrawal * nice and early

    Adverb

    (er)
  • At a time before expected; sooner than usual.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.}}
  • Soon; in good time; seasonably.
  • * Bible, Proverbs viii. 17
    • Those that seek me early shall find me.
  • *
    • You must wake and call me early .

    Synonyms

    * prematurely

    Antonyms

    * late, tardily

    Noun

    (earlies)
  • A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day.
  • * 2007 , Paul W. Browning, The Good Guys Wear Blue (page 193)
    • On my first day on the watch after leaving the shoplifting squad I paraded on earlies but had completely forgotten to take my ear ring off.

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * * 1000 English basic words

    swift

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • fast; quick; rapid.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=November 12 , author= , title=International friendly: England 1-0 Spain , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Spain were provoked into a response and Villa almost provided a swift equaliser when he rounded Hart but found the angle too acute and could only hit the side-netting.}}
  • Capable of moving at high speeds.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) The current of a stream.
  • A small plain-colored bird of the family Apodidae that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight. Other common names for the birds of this family include swiftlet, needletail and spinetail.
  • Some lizards of the genus .
  • A moth of the family , (swift moth), ghost moth.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= William E. Conner
    • , title= An Acoustic Arms Race , volume=101, issue=3, page=206-7, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.}}

    Synonyms

    * (lizard) (fence lizard), (spiny lizard)

    Derived terms

    * (steam) swiftwater, * (bird) (common swift) () * (lizard) (fence swift) ()

    Derived terms

    * swiftly

    See also

    * (black martin) * (black swift) * (hawk swallow) * devil bird * devil screecher * (swingdevil) * (screech martin) * shriek owl * (chimney swallow) * (palm swift) * (tree swift) * (pine lizard)

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (obsolete, poetic) Swiftly.
  • * 1602 , , II. iii. 263:
    • Light boats sail swift , though greater hulks draw deep.
  • * 1793 ,
    • Ply swift and strong the oar.

    Synonyms

    * (l) ----