What’s the past tense of “leap”?
It’s a bit of a trick question. As it sometimes happens, both leaped and leapt are acceptable past tense and past participial forms of leap (present tense).
US English prefers the standard “leaped” for both past tenses. UK English prefers “leapt”.
“Lept” is incorrect.
The diver leapt/leaped into the water.
The cat leap into the bush.
Forms of “leap”
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I leap | I leapt/leaped | I will leap |
| Continuous | I am leaping | I was leaping | I will be leaping |
| Perfect | I have leapt/leaped | I had leapt/leaped | I will have leapt/leaped |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been leaping | I had been leaping | I will have been leaping |
Similar verbs (as leap)
| Base Verb | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| lean | leant/leaned | leant/leaned |
| leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped |
| learn | learnt/learned | learnt/learned |
| lend | lent | lent |
| bend | bent | bent |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
Leapt/leaped in sentence examples
| Word Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| “Leaped” |
He leaped for joy when he heard the good news. The frog leaped over the log. |
| “Leapt” |
A dolphin leapt out of the water. The horse leapt a five-foot wall. He leapt out of bed when he heard the telephone. |
Examples of “leap” usage in various forms.
Practice using the verb in different tenses with example sentences to memorize the correct forms.
Phrases with ‘leap’
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| leap at the chance/opportunity | To eagerly accept an opportunity. |
| leap of faith | An act of believing or trying something with no guarantee of success. |
| look before you leap | Consider the consequences before acting. |
| leap to conclusions | To judge or decide without all the facts. |
| by leaps and bounds | Very quickly; rapidly. |
| out of the frying pan and into the fire | Going from a bad situation to a worse one. |
Origin of the word leap
c. 1200, from Old English hleapan “to jump, spring clear of the ground by force of an initial bound; run, go; dance, leap upon (a horse)” from Proto-Germanic *hlaupanan.
Practice questions: Leaped or leapt
The dancer ______ gracefully across the stage.
He had ______ to a conclusion without knowing all the facts.
The cat suddenly ______ onto the countertop.
She ______ out of bed as soon as the alarm went off.
I ______ at the opportunity to work abroad.
FAQs
Is “leaped” or “leapt” correct?
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What’s the past participle of “leap”?
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Is “leap” a regular verb?
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How is “leap” used in different tenses?
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What are some example sentences with “leap”?
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Sources
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Oxford Learner’s, definition of leap.
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Origin of the verb, origin of leap.
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Wikipedia, homophones.
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“Leap.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. 2015. Farlex, Inc 3 Nov. 2023 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/leap
Yash, D. "How to Use Leaped or Leapt (Irregular Verbs)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/leaped-or-leapt/.
