warp speed
Americannoun
Usage
What does warp speed mean? Warp speed is an extremely fast speed. In science fiction stories, especially in the Star Trek universe, warp speed refers to a hypothetical speed faster than the speed of light that can be achieved by spaceships like the USS Enterprise. This use became popular enough to enter the language as a general term for a really, really fast speed. It’s typically used in exaggerations about how fast something is moving or how fast an action is performed. Example: My kids usually drag their feet when I ask them to do their chores, but they start working at warp speed if I promise them pizza.
Etymology
Origin of warp speed
Alluding to the use in science fiction of spatial or temporal warps to travel interstellar distances
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.
“Let’s put an AI commission on warp speed, and figure out what we’re going to do to sensibly regulate.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
“We got it cataloged immediately, which means someone can order it up in the reading room tomorrow, and that’s warp speed for us,” she added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
That’s warp speed compared with how long it takes to turn nuclear-reactor blueprints into power plants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Hargitay doesn’t flit between talking heads at warp speed to feed the viewer information, or overly rely on archival footage and old photos to make the film feel like a glorified Wikipedia deep dive.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2025
Run across a field of daisies at warp speed but keep your eyes on the ground.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
