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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lightning Digital assets are moving at hyper-lightning speed. — Manny Khan, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning
  1. rapid
  2. quick
  3. fast
  4. brisk
  5. galloping
  6. swift
Adjective
  • Noonan's column also manifests the larger substantive concern, already being expressed by some of those involved in the rapid development of AI, that the new technology could escape human control and even threaten the existence of humankind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Josemar Lauriano Pereira, a 46-year-old lawyer, said that the rapid availability of results helped combat fraud and uncertainty.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of rapid
Adjective
  • Set the scene My Uber ride from Santa Fe’s Regional Airport was a quick 15 minutes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The activewear market has been especially quick to adopt these changes.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • The service As elsewhere in Bahia, service is warm and friendly—albeit not quite as fast and efficient as city-dwellers may expect.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The models have become much more capable; the pace of improvement from model to model is faster; and the stakes are much higher.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fast
Adjective
  • But adding just five more minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, every day could prevent up to 10% of premature deaths, according to a large observational study.
    — Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Fall’s brisk weather brings with it the promise of cozy knitwear, cashmere socks, and roaring fires—perhaps the only downside is that the grey skies exacerbate the our considerable vitamin D deficiency.
    — Violet Hayward, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
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
  • Designed by renowned architect Dominique Perrault, its four stories tilting forward are said to evoke a galloping horse.
    — Rob Hodgetts at Longchamp, CNN, 15 Oct. 2019
Definition of galloping
Adjective
  • The backlash was swift, and pro-Israel groups fiercely criticized Macklemore, and he was later removed from the rest of Sheeran’s stadium tour.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Thanks to the wonders of extraterrestrial medicine, Klaatu's recovery is remarkably swift.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of swift

Phrases Containing lightning

Browse Nearby Words

lightness
lightning
lightning rod
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lightning

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lightning

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