speedboat

American  

[speed-boht] / ˈspidˌboʊt /

noun

1. a motorboat designed for high speeds.

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speedboat British  

/ ˈspiːdˌbəʊt /

noun

1. a high-speed motorboat having either an inboard or outboard motor

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Etymology

Origin of speedboat

1910–15; speed ( def. ) + boat ( def. )

Example Sentences

Farzin Nadimi, an Iran-focused senior fellow with the Washington Institute, a U.S.-based think tank, said more than 60% of the Revolutionary Guard’s fast-attack craft and speedboat fleet remains intact.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

A ragtag group took to the Straits of Florida on a speedboat, wanting to spark a rebellion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Some of those new technologies were on display, from a remote-controlled speedboat, zipping about in the harbour, to a mock-up of Proteus, the navy's first pilotless helicopter.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

Lane Kiffin, by contrast, bailed on his players and now resembles a renegade pirate at the helm of a flashy speedboat — fast, loud, brash and obsessively searching for buried treasure.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2025

A cherry-red speedboat went tearing past the beach, then made a tight circle and roared back in our direction.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen