Forms
Infinitive
speed
Past
sped / speeded
Past participle
sped / speeded
Definitions
01rate of motion
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun Physics
n. how fast something or someone moves.
n. the rate at which someone or something moves or operates; the magnitude of velocity.
日本語:速さ※
“The car was travelling at a high speed when it turned the corner.”
“The aircraft reached its cruising speed shortly after leveling off at thirty thousand feet.”
Antonyms
02illegal drug
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Slang
n. a slang name for a drug that makes you feel very excited and awake.
n. an amphetamine-based stimulant drug, typically used illegally to increase alertness or energy.
日本語:スピード※
“He was arrested for possession of speed and other illegal substances.”
“The long-term health effects of speed abuse include severe cardiovascular strain and neurological damage.”
Synonyms
03camera settings
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Photography Technical
n. how sensitive a camera is to light, or how fast the shutter closes.
n. the sensitivity of a photographic sensor to light, or the duration of a shutter exposure.
“You need a fast shutter speed to take clear photos of sports.”
“Adjusting the ISO speed allows the photographer to capture images in low-light conditions without using a flash.”
Synonyms
04to move fast
A2 · Elementary
v. to move very quickly from one place to another.
v. to move or travel at high velocity.
“The ambulance had to speed through traffic to reach the hospital.”
“The cyclists began to speed down the mountain road, reaching dangerous velocities on the sharp turns.”
05to break the limit
B1 · Intermediate
v. to drive a car faster than the legal limit.
v. to drive a motor vehicle faster than the legally prescribed limit.
“He got a ticket because he was speeding in a school zone.”
“The driver was pulled over for speeding on the motorway, exceeding the limit by twenty miles per hour.”
06to accelerate a process
B1 · Intermediate
v. to make something happen faster than usual.
v. to increase the rate at which a process or event occurs; often used with 'up'.
“We need to speed up the hiring process to find a new manager.”
“The new software was designed to speed up the data entry process, reducing the workload for the administrative staff.”
Usage
Often used as the phrasal verb 'speed up'.
Synonyms
07recording ready
C2 · Proficiency Theater Technical
interj. a word used by film crews to say the equipment is ready to record.
interj. a signal used in film production to indicate that recording equipment has reached the required operating speed.
“The sound engineer shouted 'speed' and the director called for action.”
“Once the technician confirmed speed, the camera operator began the complex tracking shot through the crowded set.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “speed” in context.
Etymology
From Middle English sped (“prosperity, good luck, quickness, success”), from Old English spēd (“success”), from Proto-West Germanic spōdi (“prosperity, success”), from Proto-West Germanic spōan, from Proto-Germanic spōaną (“to prosper, succeed, be happy”), from Proto-Indo-European speh₁- (“to prosper, turn out well”). Cognate with Scots spede, speid (“success, quickness, speed”), Dutch spoed (“haste; speed”), German Low German Spood (“haste; speed; eagerness; success”), German Sput (“progress, acceleration, haste”). Related also to Old English spōwan (“to be successful, succeed”), Albanian shpejt (“to speed, to hurry”) and Russian спеши́ть (spešítʹ, “to hurry”), Latin spēs (“hope, expectation”), spērō (“hope”, verb), perhaps also to Ancient Greek σπεύδω (speúdō, “to urge on, hasten, press on”).
From Middle English speden, from Old English spēdan (“to speed, prosper, succeed, have success”), from Proto-West Germanic *spōdijan (“to succeed”). Cognate with Scots spede, speid (“to meet with success, assist, promote, accomplish, speed”), Dutch spoeden (“to hurry, rush”), Low German spoden, spöden (“to hasten, speed”), German sputen, spuden (“to speed”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
PHRASAL VERB
Related words
Idioms
The word in film
Speed · 1994 · Action
- Directed by:
- Jan de Bont
- Starring:
- Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper
Jan de Bont directed this 1990s action thriller about a city bus that is rigged with a bomb. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock must keep the vehicle moving at a high rate of motion to prevent it from exploding.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/speed
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR