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:
A statement issued by the embassy sent condolences to the family and the UK's Palestinian community and wished the girl a speedy recovery.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Now there is evidence that they could be missing out on hires with a secret superpower: speedy adaptability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Rising wages coupled with consumer demand for speedy home delivery are pushing logistics operators to automate more warehouse operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
A rookie to watch is the speedy Brenen Thompson, who doubles as a returner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
She no doubt looked forward to his speedy return to Alexandria and began making plans.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
One said the Premier League should be "actively seeking to put in place a better system" to ensure speedier resolutions.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
And because they are smaller and speedier, they also pump less heat into your kitchen.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Maybe value can continue to beat growth, but there are speedier steeds in the investing-factor horse race.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
SK Hynix was an early leader in high-bandwidth memory, which enables processor chips made by the likes of Nvidia to carry out speedier AI computations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
Thus, tiny devices that can travel along capillaries to enter and repair living tissue; the ability to heal disease, reverse the ravages of age, or make human bodies speedier and stronger than before.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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
Reality TV personality Ariana Madix of “Vanderpump Rules” fame and a Season 32 contestant added, “omg sending all my love to you and hayley and hoping for the speediest of recoveries.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2023
“Rapid Ruth,” as Ginsburg jokingly called herself, was the court’s speediest writer.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 19, 2023
At more than 560 pages, the book demands, and earns, a significant commitment from even the speediest reader.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 22, 2022
“I’m the twenty-fourth speediest typist in the class.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions 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.
