speedy

adjective

ˈspē-dē

speedier; speediest

: marked by swiftness of motion or action

also : prompt sense 2

speedily

ˈspē-də-lē

adverb

speediness

ˈspē-dē-nəs

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for speedy

fast, rapid, swift, fleet, quick, speedy, hasty, expeditious mean moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity.

fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves

fast horses

and rapid to the movement itself.

rapid current

swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment

speedy delivery of mail

and may also suggest unusual velocity.

hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

Example Sentences

They wished her a speedy recovery. a speedy worker but not a very careful one, unfortunately

Recent Examples on the Web The Leonids are also speedy, striking Earth’s atmosphere at 158,000 mph, the fastest of any meteor shower.

Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 15 Nov. 2022 Performance is speedy, but the cameras aren’t as impressive as its peers.

Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2022 Still, that didn’t stop other editors from congratulating Sydwhunte for being so speedy.

Alyssa Lukpat, WSJ, 18 Sep. 2022 The last Wildcat to return a kickoff for a touchdown was speedy running back Derrick Locke, who on Sept. 19, 2009, got loose for a 100-yard score in UK's 31-27 victory against rival Louisville.

The Courier-Journal, 4 Sep. 2022 But that timeline for making these safety upgrades apparently wasn’t speedy enough for the FTA.

Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2022 From start to finish, Melvani’s variation of two-ingredient spinach pasta is so speedy that the limiting reagent is literally waiting for a pot of water to come to a boil.

Ella Quittner, Bon Appétit, 17 Aug. 2022 Another ambition the company has that might not be as speedy as the aircrafts themselves: getting the planes to fly exclusively on sustainable aviation fuel, often made from plant material, which is costly and in short supply.

Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2022 The pace is so speedy that deer must pillage minerals from other parts of their skeleton, only to cast their antlers away and sprout a new pair when the seasons turn once more.

Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2022 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English spedi "beneficial, unencumbered, agile, prompt," from sped "luck, success, assistance, rate of progress" + -i -y entry 1 — more at speed entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of speedy was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century