speedy
Americanadjective
-
speedier,
comparative
-
speediest
superlative
-
characterized by speed; rapid; swift; fast.
- Synonyms:
- quick
-
coming, given, or arrived at quickly or soon; prompt; not delayed.
a speedy recovery.
- Synonyms:
- expeditious
adjective
-
characterized by speed of motion
-
done or decided without delay; quick
Usage
What does speedy mean? Speedy is commonly used to mean prompt or with minimal delay. It’s often used in the phrase speedy recovery, meaning a prompt recovery from an illness or injury. Speedy also means very fast. In this sense, it’s often applied as a nickname for athletes who are very fast and quick. Example: I’d like to thank the customer service team for their speedy resolution to this issue.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overspeedinessnoun
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speedinessnoun
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unspeedinessnoun
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overspeedyadjective
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unspeedyadjective
-
overspeedilyadverb
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speedilyadverb
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unspeedilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of speedy
First recorded in 1325–75, speedy is from the Middle English word spedy. See speed, -y 1
Explanation
Speedy means super fast! If you're a speedy driver, you keep your foot on the gas pedal and zip by all the slowpokes. Speedy is also the nickname for a cartoon who is “the fastest mouse in Mexico.” Anything that's speedy moves with rapid speed, whether it's a bullet train or a waiter bringing coffee before you’ve even finished ordering it. If your brother sends you on an errand, he might call, "Be speedy!" especially if you're known for taking your time. The Old English root of speedy is spedig, which curiously means "wealthy." A now old fashioned meaning of "speed," in fact, was "success" or "prosperity.”
Vocabulary lists containing speedy
Fast
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Fast
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Governments need to throw their legislative weight behind speedy rollouts of more energy capacity for electricity-hungry AI technology, with Britain having some of the highest electricity prices in the advanced world, he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
October has also been an ugly month for the sector but this time around, JPMorgan’s global strategy team does not anticipate a recovery anywhere near as speedy and emphatic.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
However, as a very close bystander to the event, he feels there has to be a speedy resolution.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
King provided just enough material for a speedy feature, and so the series has been packed with extras.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Yes, she would give him my wishes for his speedy recovery.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
Airships—even when filled with nonexplosive helium—couldn’t compete with the speedier airplanes, which would become more economical to build and operate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Those travellers already go through a pre-approval process with the US government in order to receive speedier security screening at US airports.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
The company is even investigating lasers and ultrasound as potentially speedier methods of slicing pizzas than a traditional knife blade.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
When rookie left fielder Ryan Ward walked in the seventh inning, the speedier and more defensively sound Alex Call replaced him on the bases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
He suggested to Garfield that his wife would have a speedier recovery in the cool sea breezes of New Jersey away from the stifling heat and humidity of Washington.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
It can be the speediest option at the airport, on par or better than Clear, in part because travelers are still learning about it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
In the first half, this pattern occurred but it was Kane making the run in behind and, for all of his quality, he is not the speediest.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
“Rapid Ruth,” as Ginsburg jokingly called herself, was the court’s speediest writer.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 19, 2023
Miami traded five draft picks for Hill in March, bringing in one of the NFL’s shiftiest, speediest wideouts to ignite an offense that has flourished.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2022
“I’m the twenty-fourth speediest typist in the class.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
