Synonyms

accelerate

American

[ak-sel-uh-reyt] / ækˈsɛl əˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

to cause faster or greater activity, development, progress, advancement, etc., in.

to accelerate economic growth.
to hasten the occurrence of.

to accelerate the fall of a government.
Mechanics. to change the velocity of (a body) or the rate of (motion); cause to undergo acceleration.
to reduce the time required for (a course of study) by intensifying the work, eliminating detail, etc.

verb (used without object)

to move or go faster; increase in speed.
to progress or develop faster.

accelerate British

/ ækˈsɛləˌreɪt /

verb

to go, occur, or cause to go or occur more quickly; speed up
(tr) to cause to happen sooner than expected
(tr) to increase the velocity of (a body, reaction, etc); cause acceleration

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of accelerate

First recorded in 1515–25; from Latin accelerātus “sped up,” past participle of accelerāre “to speed up,” from ac- ac- + celerāre “to hasten, hurry” (from celer “swift”)

Explanation

Accelerate means to speed up. A car accelerates when you step on the gas. You can accelerate the process of getting a visa if you happen to know someone who works in the consulate. The fastest Amtrak trains are called the Acela line, a made-up word intended to suggest accelerate and therefore communicate that these trains are fast. If you are standing close to one when it zooms by, you may find yourself having an accelerated heart rate — they move pretty 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.

Micron also announced Thursday that it would accelerate its U.S. investments and increase its expected spending to over $250 billion through 2035, up from previous projections of $200 billion.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026

Last year, Nokia got a new CEO who was eager to accelerate the AI push: Hotard, who had previously run Intel’s data center and AI business.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

Perhaps their eye-opening experience can accelerate the transformation of rights into realities.

From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026

Regarding the energy business, he said that demand and energy-storage deployments will likely accelerate in the second half of 2026.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026

The gene entrances English and American reformers, who hope to manipulate human genetics to accelerate human evolution and emancipation.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023