speed

SPEED/spiːd/

Pluralspeeds

Verbspeeds, speeding, sped

18 meanings of speed

Practice

1
measured ratenouncountable or uncountable
How far something travels in a certain amount of time.
Like counting how far you walk in one minute.
The speed of the bus was about fifty miles an hour.
We measured the speed of the toy car across the floor.
UsageSay at a speed of 50 miles an hour.
Similarvelocity, rate, pace
Note
2
rapid pacenouncountable or uncountable
How fast something moves, or how fast it can move.
Like how fast you can run compared to a friend.
She used her speed to get past the other runners.
Cheetahs are famous for their amazing speed.
UsageSay pick up speed or gather speed.
Similarvelocity, rapidity, celerity
Oppositeslowness, sluggishness
Note
3
make happen fasterverbtransitive
To make something happen faster.
Like turning up the heat to cook food faster.
Warm weather can speed the growth of plants.
Good tools speed the work.
UsagePeople often say speed up: speed up the work.
Similaraccelerate, hasten, expedite, quicken, fast-track
Oppositeslow, delay, hinder, impede
4
go fastverbintransitive
To move quickly, or to make someone or something move or travel quickly.
Like a ball rolling fast down a hill.
The cars speed along the highway every morning.
We watched the boats speed across the lake.
UsageSay speed past or speed along. Past form: sped.
Similarrace, zoom, rush, hurtle, dash
Oppositecrawl, creep, dawdle
Note
5
drive too fastverbintransitive
To drive faster than the law allows.
He was speeding when the police stopped him.
Drivers who speed often cause accidents.
UsagePeople say caught speeding or a ticket for speeding.

Less common meanings

6
shutter timenouncountable or uncountable
How long a camera lets in light to take a photo.
Like how long you keep your eyes open to let in light.
On a sunny day, a fast shutter speed keeps your photo sharp.
With a slow shutter speed, the waterfall looks soft and smooth.
Note
7
drugnounslanguncountable
A drug that makes people feel very awake and energetic, often used illegally.
The police found a bag of speed in his car.
He was arrested for selling speed near the school.
UsageSay some speed or a bag of speed for the drug.
Similarmeth, crystal, ice, crank, glass
Note
8
light sensitivitynouncountable or uncountable
How easily a camera's film or sensor reacts to light.
Like how quickly your eyes adjust in a dark room.
This film has a high speed, so it works well at night.
On bright days, set the camera to a low speed like ISO 100.
Similarsensitivity
Note
9
personal tastenounslangcountable or uncountable
The kind of thing someone likes or feels comfortable with.
Like your own favorite flavor of ice cream: what feels right for you.
Loud parties aren't really my speed.
A quiet night at home is more her speed.
UsageSay not my speed for something you don't like.
Similarthing, style, scene, bag
10
be highverbslangintransitive
To be high from drugs that make you feel very awake.
Some users speed for days and forget to eat.
He was speeding so hard he couldn't stop talking.
UsagePeople may think it means driving too fast.
Note
11
widest lens openingnouncountable or uncountable
How wide a camera lens can open to let in light. A 'fast' lens opens very wide.
Like how a bigger window lets in more light than a small one.
A lens with good speed lets you take photos in dim light.
Photographers often pay more for extra speed in a lens.
Note
12
verbarchaic
To wish someone luck or help them succeed, especially when they are leaving on a journey.
Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest.
1726, Homer, The Odyssey of HomerHere, speed means to wish the leaving guest a good journey.
Note
13
nounarchaiccountable or uncountable
Good luck, success, or wealth that someone has or hopes for.
O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day.
1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, speed means success or good luck.
St. Francis be my ſpeed, how oft to night / Haue my old feet ſtumbled at graues?
c. 1591, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”
Note
14
verbarchaicintransitive
To do well, succeed, and have good luck.
We have been praying for our husbands' healths, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they returned?
c. 1596, William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”Here, speed means do well or have good luck.
Aristotle must find out the motion of Euripus; Pliny must needs see Vesuvius; but how sped they? One loseth goods, another his life.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy
Note
15
verbarchaic
To ruin something or bring it to a quick end.
infected with the fashions, full of wingdalls, sped with spavins, rayed with yellows
c. 1590, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”Here, sped means ruined or done for by the disease.
A dire dilemma! either vvay I'm ſped, / If Foes, they vvrite, if Friends, they read me dead.
1735, [Alexander] Pope, An Epistle from Mr. Pope
Note
16
verbobsolete
To be useful or helpful in a situation.
Note
17
interjection
Called out on a film set when the sound recorder is running and ready to record.
18
noun
A finance measure showing how quickly an option's risk changes as the price of the thing it tracks moves.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of speed apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 6–9, 11, 13

From Old English spēd meaning "success," going back to an ancient root meaning "to prosper or turn out well."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Speed derives from Old English spēd, meaning success. en.wiktionary.org
Its ancestry reaches an ancient root meaning to prosper or turn out well. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 3–5, 10, 12, 14–16

From Old English spēdan meaning "to prosper or succeed."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The verb speed derives from Old English spēdan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English spēdan meant to prosper or succeed. en.wiktionary.org