fleetly

7.9

To do something quickly and smoothly

adverb
/ˈflitli/

: rápidamente

She completed the race fleetly, finishing well before her competitors.

The SAS bodyguard stood with them fleetly.

Examples

He was only about twenty yards away, and he looked agile, able to close the distance between them as fleetly as a grizzly on all fours.

Fiction book (2000)
♪ I'm glad to go ♪ ♪ I cannot tell a lie ♪ ♪ I flit, I float ♪ ♪ I fleetly flee, I fly ♪ ♪ Good-bye ♪ ♪ Good-bye ♪ ♪ Good-bye ♪ ♪ I have confidence in sunshine ♪ ♪ I have confidence in rain ♪ ♪ I have confidence that spring will come again ♪ ♪ Besides which, you see, I have confidence in me ♪ ♪ Strength doesn't lie in numbers ♪ ♪ Strength doesn't lie in wealth ♪ ♪ Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers ♪ ♪ When you wake up ♪ ♪ Wake up!

Goodbye Lover (1999)
The rabbit darted fleetly across the field to escape the hungry fox.
The children ran fleetly to the playground as soon as the bell rang.

Synonyms

quickly

vsfleetly

∞ 1.0

At a fast speed or without delay

is closer to smooth rapid action rather than just fast timing

rapidly

vsfleetly

446 1.4

In a very short time

is similar but suggests smoother, graceful quickness

swiftly

vsfleetly

84 1.0

Quickly and smoothly

is similar but focuses more on raw speed than smoothness

briskly

vsfleetly

24 3.5

Quickly and with a lot of energy to get things done

is like fast motion but less about energetic style

speedily

vsfleetly

6 2.4

To act quickly without delay

is similar but highlights rapid motion more than promptness

with a quickness

vsfleetly

Informal

7.2

In a very short time

conveys higher urgency while the key is general rapid action

agilely

vsfleetly

4.0

Move quickly and lightly with skill and control

describes speed without the nimble or light quality

Antonyms

slowly

∞ 1.0

At a low speed without hurrying

How Quickly

rapidly

446 1.4

swiftly

84 1.0

fleetly

7.9

fast

∞ 1.0

quickly

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

fleetly positive

Morphology

fleetly = fleet (transparent) = fleet + ly

The adverb is formed regularly from the adjective 'fleet' with the productive suffix '-ly', giving the expected meaning 'in a swift manner'.

Etymology

The word fleetly comes from fleet, an old word that means 'fast', as you see in the phrase fleet-footed for someone quick on their feet. So to move fleetly is to move 'quickly', like someone who runs or acts very fast.