speed

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: rate of motion: such as
(2)
: the magnitude of a velocity irrespective of direction
b
: the act or state of moving swiftly : swiftness
c
2
: swiftness or rate of performance or action : velocity sense 3a
3
a
: the sensitivity of a photographic film, plate, or paper expressed numerically
b
: the time during which a camera shutter is open
c
: the light-gathering power of a lens or optical system
4
: a transmission gear in automotive vehicles or bicycles
usually used in combination
a ten-speed bicycle
5
: someone or something that appeals to one's taste
just my speed
6
: methamphetamine
also : a related stimulant drug and especially an amphetamine
7
archaic : prosperity in an undertaking : success
speedster noun

speed

2 of 2

verb

sped ˈsped How to pronounce speed (audio) or speeded; speeding

intransitive verb

1
a
: to make haste
sped to her bedside
b
: to go or drive at excessive or illegal speed
2
: to move, work, or take place faster : accelerate
the heart speeds up
3
a
archaic : to prosper in an undertaking
b
archaic : get along, fare

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to move quickly : hasten
b
: to increase the speed of : accelerate
c
: to wish Godspeed to
2
a
: to further the success of
b
archaic : to cause or help to prosper : aid
3
: to send out
speed an arrow
speeder noun
Phrases
at speed
chiefly British
up to speed
: operating at full effectiveness or potential
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of speed in a Sentence

Noun 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. Verb 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 on the Web
Noun
High speed rail in California Biden touts high-speed rail between Southern California and Las Vegas. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Talk about speed: Our scientists are already decreasing plant breeding cycles from five years down to merely four months with precision breeding. Bill Anderson, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 Small children pushed larger ones in wheelchairs at worrying speeds, caroming off the green and brown beanbag chairs that dotted the plot of artificial earth. Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024 Odunze features elite size (6-3, 212), speed and strength with excellent hands. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 Video Ad Feedback 01:38 - Source: CNN In his ownership of X alone, Musk controls one of the world’s most important communications platforms, spitting corrosive venom into the public discourse at a faster speed than his SpaceX rockets hurtle into orbit. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 Hero shots of EVs traveling at slow-poke speeds won’t set the world alight, but marketers might instead hope that coupling drones with cars will soon allow eye-in-the-sky monitoring of traffic snafus, although aviation authorities worldwide would no doubt take their sweet time to sanction such use. Carlton Reid, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024 Excessive speed and impairment are being investigated as contributing factors in the crash, according to investigators. Fox19, The Enquirer, 18 Mar. 2024 The road is a similar length as Finch Ave, but has four speed tables and one intersection with three-way stop signs. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
Elice has smartly sped up the action by eliminating one of the two introductory devices that kept the movie’s story at a distance. Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 That meant forgoing technology that could speed production and extend the shelf life of their products even as bigger competitors from the East and West coasts arrived on the scene. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024 Miller revved her engine and sped up on 54-year-old Harris before intentionally running into him on March 29, 2021, prosecutors said. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024 When the gang of Irish Republican Army raiders sped off into the night in April 1974 from an estate south of Dublin, 19 masterpieces were crammed into the car. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Witnesses reported hearing a possible single gunshot and the vehicle then sped away. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024 The Fed could speed up interest rate cuts if the historically-strong jobs market starts to weaken. Matt Egan, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 By submerging the food in cold water, heat is conducted away from the food much more efficiently than in the air, significantly speeding up the thawing process. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 The randomness of where the ball might end up forced the players to slam on the brakes or speed up at a high rate. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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 VII 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."

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of speed was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near speed

Cite this Entry

“Speed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speed. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

speed

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: the act or state of moving swiftly : swiftness
b
: rate of motion : velocity
2
: quickness in movement or action
3
: a transmission gear in motor vehicles or bicycles
a 10-speed bicycle
4
: methamphetamine
also : a related drug

speed

2 of 2 verb
sped ˈsped How to pronounce speed (audio) or speeded; speeding
1
a
: to move or cause to move fast
b
: to go or drive at too high a speed
2
: to increase the speed of : accelerate
often used with up

Medical Definition

speed

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

More from Merriam-Webster on speed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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