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swipe

SWAYP /swaɪp/

verbnounA2TOEFLIELTS

InformalNeutral

To slide a finger smoothly across a touchscreen display to execute a command, scroll, or unlock a device.

Implies a fluid, continuous physical sliding movement across a surface rather than a discrete tap or press.

The story behind the word. Originally meaning to strike a sweeping blow in Middle English, 'swipe' evolved through dialectal English to describe sweeping movements. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, interface designers adopted the term to describe sliding a finger across capacitive glass screens.

Word relationships

slide: Slide is a general physical verb, whereas swipe specifically denotes a fast touch gesture.
drag: Drag implies moving an object along with the touch point, whereas swipe is a quick sweeping gesture.

tap: Tap is a quick single point touch rather than a continuous sliding movement.

Commonly confused with

flick: A flick is faster and lighter than a swipe, usually imparting momentum to scrollable content.

Word family

swiped (verb): Past tense form of swipe.
swiping (noun): The action of sliding across a touch screen.

Collocations

swipe left
swipe right
swipe up
swipe down
swipe across

Idioms & expressions

swipe left on (informal: reject or pass on)

Example sentences

"You can swipe left on the notification to dismiss it from your screen immediately." Mobile User Interaction
"Users typically swipe right to archive an unread email message." Product Design Documentation

Memory hook

Think of a windshield wiper SWEEPIng across glass—a SWIPE is a sweeping movement on screen. Sweeping touch across the glass.

When not to use

Do not use for mechanical buttons or physical switches that must be pressed down.

Fun facts

The phrase 'swipe left' entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018 due to its widespread cultural adoption via dating apps.