speed dating

American  

noun

1. an organized social event in which participants have one-on-one conversations typically limited to less than ten minutes, for the purpose of meeting people they would like to date.

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speed dating British  

noun

1. a method of meeting potential partners in which each participant has only a few minutes to talk to each of his or her dates before being moved on to the next one. At the end of the event, paticipants decide which dates they would like to see again

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Other Word Forms

• speed dater
  noun

Etymology

Origin of speed dating

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

speed dating

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026

She told me about her recent endeavor in speed dating: events sponsoring timed one-on-one “dates” with multiple candidates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

I would’ve preferred the gentleman at the speed dating event had likened my efforts to, at least, Morticia, a grown woman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

In reality, if I had shown up to speed dating as my complete self, that would have been more than enough to stir sparks with a new flame.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

From what she could see, the process looked like speed dating.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan