speed
1 of 2noun
speed
2 of 2verb
or speeded; speeding intransitive verb
transitive verb
Synonyms
Noun
- celerity
- fastness
- fleetness
- haste
- hurry
- quickness
- rapidity
- rapidness
- speediness
- swiftness
- velocity
Verb
- barrel
- belt
- blast
- blaze
- blow
- bolt
- bomb [slang]
- bowl
- breeze
- bundle
- bustle
- buzz
- cannonball
- careen
- career
- chase
- course
- crack (on)
- dash
- drive
- fly
- hare
- hasten
- hie
- highball
- hotfoot (it)
- hump
- hurl
- hurry
- hurtle
- hustle
- jet
- jump
- motor
- nip
- pelt
- race
- ram
- rip
- rocket
- run
- rush
- rustle
- scoot
- scurry
- scuttle
- shoot
- step
- tear
- travel
- trot
- whirl
- whisk
- zip
- zoom
Example Sentences
Jonas Shaffer, Baltimore Sun, 14 Sep. 2022 Ketels from Wayne State, said even though there may be speed bumps, Georgia will ultimately be a winner from this legislation. Zachary Hansen, ajc, 14 Sep. 2022 Though Amazon is known for efficiency and speed, there may be a few snags along the way like with any online delivery service. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2022 Dave Tremper, director of electronic warfare at the Pentagon, praised the speed with which SpaceX evaded that jamming with a software update. Mihir Tripathy, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2022 The new speed for ever more popular cold drinks is even more dramatic. Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022 Current top speed estimates are around 160 mph, though the final figure might come in quite a bit higher. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2022 Miller and Thomas say that speed is paramount and can help employees make decisions faster. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2022 Because speed was never going to be an issue for him. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2022 Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 15 Sep. 2022 In June, President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to speed the manufacture of heat pumps. Chris Moody, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 Bass promises to streamline city processes to speed up projects receiving funds from the 2016 homeless housing bond. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2022 Caches are temporary files that are stored on your device to speed up the load time. Toby Grey, BGR, 29 Aug. 2022 Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced a shake-up at the organization including internal staffing moves and steps to speed up data releases. Cady Stanton, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 To speed up your oven reheat strategy, switch from bake to broil. Preheat the broiler. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2022 Already some manufacturers are using innovations like digital twins, which dynamically capture information that can speed up the production, product approvals, and certifications of new engines and aircrafts. Susan Galer, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 In May, Biden used the Defense Production Act to speed up domestic production. Jacob Scholl, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Noun
Middle English sped, speede, spede "luck, fortune, good fortune, success, assistance, benefit, rate of motion or progress," going back to Old English spēd "luck, success, riches, opportunity, power," spēdum (dative plural used adverbially) "swiftly," going back to West Germanic *spōdi- (whence also Old Saxon spōd "success, advantage," Middle Dutch spoed "prosperity, progress, haste," Old High German spuot "quickness, velocity"), derivative with the abstract noun suffix -ti- from the base of *spōan- "to succeed" (whence Old English spōwan "to succeed, thrive" [Class 7 strong verb], Middle Dutch spoen "to strive," Old High German spuoen "to succeed"), going back to an o-grade derivative of the Indo-European verbal base *speh1- "thrive, prosper", whence also Old Church Slavic spějǫ, spěti "to have success," Lithuanian spė́ju, spė́ti "to manage (to do something)," Sanskrit sphā́yate "(s/he) grows fat, increases," Hittite išpāi "(s/he) gets full, is satiated"; as nominal derivatives Latin spēs "hope" (< *speh1-), Latin prosperus "agreeable to one's wishes, successful, prosperous," Old Russian sporŭ "abundant," Sanskrit sphiráḥ "fat" (< *sph1-ró-)
Verb
Middle English speden "to succeed, fare, assist, travel swiftly," going back to Old English spēdan, gespēdan "to have success, succeed, prosper," verbal derivative of spēd "luck, success" — more at speed entry 1
Note: Parallel Germanic formations are Old Saxon spōdian "to further, promote" and Old High German gispuoten "to make thrive."
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3a
Phrases Containing speed
Kids Definition
speed 1 of 2
noun
speed
2 of 2verb
Medical Definition
speed
noun
speed 1 of 2
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- velocity
- rate
- quickness
- pace
- hurry
- acceleration
- swiftness
- rapidity
- celerity
- speediness
- fleetness
- rapidness
- tempo
- haste
- fastness
- gait
- clip
- alacrity
- promptness
- drive
- rush
- hustle
- precipitation
- promptitude
- expedition
- dispatch
- hastiness
- warp speed
- precipitousness
- expeditiousness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- slowness
- sluggishness
- lethargy
- reluctance
- torpidity
- languor
- leisureliness
- deliberateness
- torpor
- languidness
- deliberation
- procrastination
- lateness
- dilatoriness
- pokiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
- favorite
- preference
- cup of tea
- pet
- minion
- darling
- dear
- treasure
- fave
- beloved
- prize
- sweetheart
- jewel
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- abomination
- bugbear
- anathema
- bête noire
speed
2 of 2verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- race
- travel
- drive
- rush
- hurry
- fly
- chase
- zip
- trot
- jump
- scurry
- buzz
- run
- motor
- blow
- dash
- dart
- scoot
- ram
- step
- zoom
- blast
- bowl
- jog
- whirl
- rip
- bolt
- jet
- breeze
- hustle
- tear
- career
- course
- cannonball
- scuttle
- blaze
- rocket
- hare
- hasten
- shoot
- hump
- barrel
- gallop
- whisk
- belt
- bundle
- hie
- hurtle
- accelerate
- careen
- hurl
- bomb
- highball
- bustle
- beat it
- rustle
- sprint
- pelt
- nip
- shake a leg
- crack (on)
- make tracks
- step on it
- whiz
- get a move on
- hotfoot (it)
- quicken
- outrun
- beetle
- streak
- scamper
- flit
- overtake
- outpace
- stampede
- scud
- whizz
- step out
- outstrip
- arrow
- scuffle
- catch up
- fast-forward
- beeline
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- creep
- crawl
- drag
- lag
- hang (around or out)
- poke
- dawdle
- linger
- shuffle
- poke
- decelerate
- amble
- stroll
- slow (down or up)
- tarry
- lumber
- saunter
- plod
- loiter
- dillydally
- dally
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of speed are dispatch, expedition, haste, and hurry. While all these words mean "quickness in movement or action," speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action.
Expedition and dispatch both imply speed and efficiency in handling affairs but expedition stresses ease or efficiency of performance and dispatch stresses promptness in concluding matters.
The words haste and speed can be used in similar contexts, but haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.
The synonyms hurry and speed are sometimes interchangeable, but hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion.