speed

noun \ ˈspēd \

Updated on: 5 Dec 2017

Definition of speed

1 archaic : prosperity in an undertaking : success

2 a : the act or state of moving swiftly : swiftness

b : rate of motion: such as

(1) : velocity 1

(2) : the magnitude of a velocity irrespective of direction

c : impetus

3 : swiftness or rate of performance or action : velocity 3a

4 a : the sensitivity of a photographic film, plate, or paper expressed numerically

b : the light-gathering power of a lens or optical system

c : the time during which a camera shutter is open

5 : a transmission gear in automotive vehicles or bicycles —usually used in combination

a ten-speed bicycle

6 : someone or something that appeals to one's taste

just my speed

7 : methamphetamine; also : a related stimulant drug and especially an amphetamine

—

speedster

play \ˈspēd-stər\ noun

— at speed

chiefly British

: fast, rapidly

— up to speed

: operating at full effectiveness or potential

See speed defined for English-language learners

See speed defined for kids

Examples of speed in a Sentence

This instrument measures wind speed.
The machine was operating at high speed.
traveling at nearly the speed of light
Under the right conditions the car can reach speeds over 200 miles an hour.
The vehicle maintained a speed of 40 miles per hour.
The work was done with remarkable speed.
This computer works at a much faster processing speed than my old one.
The machine chops up tree branches and leaves with speed and ease.

Recent Examples of speed from the Web

Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating until a soft dough forms.

— woman's day kitchen, Woman's Day, "Cherry-Ginger Hermit Bars," 23 Oct. 2017
Both stand out with their open-floor speed, drive and kick awareness, putting pressure on the defense as well as setting the tone with their on-ball pressure defense.

— gary bedore, kansascity, "Point guard recruit Dotson remained mum for two days about KU commitment," 15 Oct. 2017
That speed can be helpful to a large company that, for all its strengths, may take more time to change directions.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "NASA calling: Mobile businesses hear about opportunities," 2 Nov. 2017
Fate is a one-track, high-speed train wreck, and for the audience, this means a swift rush of endorphins.

— jeff macgregor, Smithsonian, "The Healing Power of Greek Tragedy," 26 Oct. 2017
On those where speeds are down by more than 8%, use is down by 16%.

— The Economist, "Busman’s holidayLondon’s buses are losing passengers," 19 Oct. 2017
On the defensive side of the ball, the step up in speed from the college game to the NFL is drastic.

— andrew c. mccarthy, National Review, "Kaepernick’s Collusion Claim Is a Likely Loser," 18 Oct. 2017
With mixer still on high speed, gradually stream in 1¼ cups oil and beat until incorporated and mixture is even thicker.

— claire saffitz, Bon Appetit, "Olive Oil Cake," 17 Oct. 2017
What’s most astounding is the speed with which China achieved this.

— anja manuel, The Atlantic, "China Is Quietly Reshaping the World," 17 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'speed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of speed

Middle English spede, from Old English spēd; akin to Old High German spuot prosperity, speed, Old English spōwan to succeed, Latin spes hope, Lithuanian spėti to be in time

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

speed Synonyms

Synonyms

celerity, fastness, fleetness, haste, hurry, quickness, rapidity, rapidness, speediness, swiftness, velocity

Antonyms

slowness, sluggishness

Related Words

clip, gait, pace, rate, tempo; drive, hustle; acceleration, hastiness, precipitation, precipitousness, rush; alacrity, dispatch, expedition, expeditiousness, promptitude, promptness; warp speed

Near Antonyms

languidness, languor, leisureliness, lethargy, torpidity, torpor; reluctance; deliberateness, deliberation; dilatoriness, lateness, pokiness, procrastination

Synonym Discussion of speed

haste, hurry, speed, expedition, dispatch mean quickness in movement or action. haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.

- marry in haste

hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion.

- in the hurry of departure she forgot her toothbrush

speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action.

- exercises to increase your reading speed

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 case came to trial with expedition
- paid bills with dispatch

speed

verb

Definition of speed

sped play \ˈsped\ or speeded; speeding

intransitive verb

1 a archaic : to prosper in an undertaking

b archaic : get along, fare

2 a : to make haste

sped to her bedside

b : to go or drive at excessive or illegal speed

3 : to move, work, or take place faster : accelerate

the heart speeds up

transitive verb

1 a archaic : to cause or help to prosper : aid

b : to further the success of

2 a : to cause to move quickly : hasten

b : to wish Godspeed to

c : to increase the speed of : accelerate

3 : to send out

speed an arrow

—

speeder

noun

See speed defined for English-language learners

Examples of speed in a Sentence

A group of kids sped past us on their bikes.
They jumped in the car and sped away.
A car was speeding down the street.
An ambulance sped her to the hospital.
I got pulled over twice last month because I was speeding on the highway.

Recent Examples of speed from the Web

Both cars continued south, and the Ford collided with another vehicle while the silver car sped away.

— glenn e. rice and tony rizzo, kansascity, "Fatal shooting in Kansas City, Kan. | The Kansas City Star," 3 Nov. 2017
However, Surber managed to speed away from officers in a silver Chrysler PT Cruiser.

— jared boyd, AL.com, "Baldwin Co. DA: Investigation of Fairhope officer-involved shooting could take months," 27 Oct. 2017
Countless emergency vehicles hurried toward the flames, sirens blaring, as evacuees sped away after jamming possessions into their cars and filling their gas tanks.

— ellen knickmeyer and jocelyn gecker, chicagotribune.com, "Searchers look for bodies in California's charred ruins," 12 Oct. 2017
Keep the tree away from direct sunlight, heaters or fans, as these will speed up the drying process.

— brian clark howard, Popular Mechanics, "How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh Longer," 28 Sep. 2017
This setting was designed to speed up the drying process.

— martha stewart, star-telegram, "Give your home a smart fall makeover," 23 Sep. 2017
But when deputies tried to detain another occupant, the 45-year-old man moved to the driver’s seat and sped away, hitting a deputy with the vehicle, Rowley said.

— david hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Man accused of hitting deputy with vehicle, trying to stab canine," 15 Sep. 2017
To speed up the cooling process, set it on a cooling rack so air can circulate.

— rick martinez, Bon Appetit, "How to Make the Best Blueberry Pie and Maybe Also Find Love," 8 July 2017
The average woman already loses 100 hairs every day, so just imagine accidentally speeding up the shedding process.

— kenny thapoung, Marie Claire, "9 Reasons Your Hair Is Falling Out," 30 Sep. 2015

First Known Use of speed

before 12th century

speed Synonyms

Synonyms

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, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, hurry, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom

Antonyms

crawl, creep, poke

Related Words

beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle; stampede, streak, whiz (or whizz); gallop, jog, sprint; accelerate, quicken, step out; catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake; arrow, beeline

Near Antonyms

dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up)

SPEED Defined for English Language Learners

speed

noun

Definition of speed for English Language Learners

: the rate at which someone or something moves or travels
: the rate at which something happens or is done
: the quality of being quick

speed

verb

Definition of speed for English Language Learners

: to move fast
: to move (someone or something) somewhere very quickly
: to drive faster than the legal speed limit

SPEED Defined for Kids

speed

noun \ ˈspēd \

Definition of speed for Students

1 : quickness in movement or action

2 : rate of moving or doing

a speed of 100 miles an hour

speed

verb

Definition of speed for Students

sped \ˈsped\ or speeded; speeding

1 : to move or cause to move fast : hurry

2 : to go or drive at too high a rate of movement

I got a ticket for speeding.

3 : to increase the rate of an action or movement

How can we speed this process?

— speed up

: to move more quickly

Medical Dictionary

speed

noun \ ˈspēd \

medical Definition of speed

: methamphetamine; also : a related stimulant drug and especially an amphetamine

Learn More about speed

See words that rhyme with speed Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for speed Spanish Central: Translation of speed Nglish: Translation of speed for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of speed for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speed

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speed

Definition of speed

speedster

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Origin and Etymology of speed

speed Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of speed

speed

Definition of speed

speeder

Examples of speed in a Sentence

Recent Examples of speed from the Web

First Known Use of speed

speed Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to SPEED

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SPEED Defined for English Language Learners

speed

Definition of speed for English Language Learners

speed

Definition of speed for English Language Learners

SPEED Defined for Kids

speed

Definition of speed for Students

speed

Definition of speed for Students

Medical Dictionary

speed

medical Definition of speed

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