speed dating

American

noun

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.

speed dating British

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

speed dater

noun

Etymology

Origin of speed dating

First recorded in 1995–2000

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:

speed dating

Performance director James Bunce likened the situation to a speed dating session because "every moment counts".

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

The Times is hosting the event with the Next Fun Thing, which runs L.A. social events from speed dating to kickball tournaments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 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

Much of my knowledge of speed dating came from cinema.

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

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