speed
[noun]
Synonyms:
- swiftness, haste, hurry, pace, quickness, rapidity, rush, velocity
[verb]
Synonyms:
- race, career, gallop, hasten, hurry, make haste, rush, tear, zoom
- help, advance, aid, assist, boost, expedite, facilitate

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Antonyms: slow (up or down)
Contrasted words: dilatoriness, tardiness, hamper, restrain, retard, check, stay, delay, postpone, put off
Related Idioms: make haste, get the lead out
Related Words: alacrity, legerity, headway, fastness, fleetness, clip, hickory, advance, aid, ease, encourage, expedite, facilitate, forward, further, help (along), smooth, cheer (on), drive (on), goad (on), spur (on), burn (up)

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. speed¹ S2 W1 /spiːd/ noun
[Word Family: noun: speed, speeding; verb: speed; adverb: speedily; adjective: speedy]
[Language: Old English; Origin: sped 'success, quickness']

1. OF MOVEMENT [uncountable and countable] the rate at which something moves or travels:
The truck was travelling at a speed of 50 mph.
particles that travel at the speed of light.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually talk about how fast something or someone is rather than using the noun speed:
■ What speed was he going? ➔ How fast was he going?

2. OF ACTION [uncountable and countable] the rate at which something happens or is done
speed of
the speed of change within the industry
a high-speed computer
The population was growing at great speed.

3. FAST [uncountable] the quality of being fast:
The women’s basketball team has talent, speed, and power.
with speed
She acted with speed and efficiency.
at speed British English:
a van travelling at speed

4. PHOTOGRAPHY [countable]
a) the degree to which photographic film is sensitive to light
b) the time it takes for a camera shutter to open and close:
a shutter speed of 1/250 second

5. DRUG [uncountable] informal an illegal drug that makes you very active Synonym : amphetamine

6. five-speed/ten-speed etc having five, ten etc gears:
a ten-speed bike

7. up to speed having the latest information or knowledge about something:
Some school officials are only now getting up to speed regarding computers.
John will bring you up to speed (=tell you the latest information).
⇒ full speed/steam ahead at full¹(18)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. speed² verb (past tense and past participle sped /sped/ or speeded)
[Word Family: noun: speed, speeding; verb: speed; adverb: speedily; adjective: speedy]

1. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to go quickly:
The car sped along the dusty highway.

2. [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to take someone or something somewhere very quickly:
An ambulance sped her to the hospital.

3. be speeding to be driving faster than the legal limit:
I got caught speeding on the A40 yesterday.

4. (also speed something ↔ up) [transitive] to make something happen faster Antonym : slow down:
This news should speed his recovery.
speed by phrasal verb
if time speeds by, it seems to pass very quickly:
The weeks sped by and soon it was time to go back to school.
speed up phrasal verb
to move or happen faster, or to make something move or happen faster Antonym : slow down:
The truck speeded up going down the hill.
speed something ↔ up
The new system will speed up the registration process.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

speed
noun
ADJ. amazing, astonishing, breakneck, fast, great, high, incredible, lightning, phenomenal, remarkable, startling, surprising, terrific The new houses have been built with astonishing speed. He drove us to the hospital at breakneck speed.
low, slow | full, maximum, top | excess 90% of car accidents involve excess speed.
constant, steady | average | cruising, flying, operating, reading, running The machinery is regulated to a safe running speed.
engine, traffic, etc. | air, wind
QUANT. burst The Greek runner produced an electrifying burst of speed over the last 50 metres.
VERB + SPEED attain, reach The car reaches a speed of 60 miles per hour within five seconds.
build up, gain, gather, increase, pick up The train pulled out of the station, slowly gathering speed.
lose | curb, kill, reduce measures to curb the speed of cars travelling through the village
maintain The boat maintained a steady speed while the sea was calm.
measure
SPEED + VERB increase | decrease
SPEED + NOUN control, reduction, restriction | record ‘Mallard’ holds the speed record for a steam locomotive.
hump | camera, trap
PREP. at ~ (= fast) The train was travelling at speed when the accident happened. at lightning speed
with ~ Hedgehogs, though small, can move with surprising speed.
PHRASES (at) full speed He was running at full speed when a tendon snapped in his leg.
full speed ahead The boat can be brought to a stop from full speed ahead within her own length.
the speed of light/sound Concorde crosses the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound.
a turn of speed For a small car it has a good turn of speed.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

speed

increase your speed
He increased his speed until he was running flat out.
gain/gather/pick up speed (=go faster)
The Mercedes was gradually picking up speed.
reach a speed
The trains will reach speeds of 140 mph.
maintain a speed (=keep the same speed)
The aircraft is designed to maintain a steady speed.
reduce speed (=slow down deliberately)
She reduced speed as she approached the village.
lose speed (=slow down without wanting to)
The engine made a strange sound and we lost speed.
an average speed
Our average speed was 88 mph.
a constant/steady speed
The disc revolves at a constant speed.
a top/maximum speed (=the highest possible)
The car has a top speed of 132 mph.
wind speed (=the speed of the wind)
The average wind speed will be about 14 knots.
air speed (=the speed of a plane in relation to the air around it)
at high/great speed
The train was travelling at high speed.
at low/slow speed
Even at low speed, an accident could mean serious injury for a child.
at full speed (=running, driving etc as fast as possible)
He ran past us at full speed.
at/with lightning speed (=very quickly)
He moved with his usual lightning speed.
at breakneck speed (=very quickly)
He drove away at breakneck speed.
a speed limit
The speed limit is 40 mph here.
a speed restriction
New speed restrictions have been introduced.
a speed camera (=designed to photograph vehicles going too fast)
Most GPS systems will warn you when there are speed cameras.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

speed
noun
1.
BAD: I jumped in and swam towards the child at my fastest speed.
GOOD: I jumped in and swam towards the child as fast as I could.
BAD: The world's population has increased at a very rapid speed.
GOOD: The world's population has increased very rapidly.

Usage Note:
Phases with speed are usually used in connection with vehicles and machines: 'At the time of the crash, the train was travelling at full speed.' 'These cars are capable of very high speeds.'

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2.
BAD: These new trains can travel in very high speeds.
GOOD: These new trains can travel at very high speeds.
BAD: The car in front of ours continued with the same speed.
GOOD: The car in front of ours continued at the same speed.

Usage Note:
at a particular speed ( NOT with/in ) 'If we continue at this speed, we'll be there in an hour.' 'According to the police report, the car had been travelling at a speed of 110 miles per hour.'

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3.
DUBIOUS: He always drives at a very fast speed.
GOOD: He always drives at top speed.

Usage Note:
at great/high/top/full/breakneck speed : 'He jumped into the car and drove off at great speed.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲