swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.
returned the ball with one swift stroke
fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.
fleet runners
quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.
a quick wit
speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment
speedy delivery of mail
and may also suggest unusual velocity.
hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.
a hasty inspection
expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.
the expeditious handling of an order
Examples of speedy in a Sentence
They wished her a speedy recovery.
a speedy worker but not a very careful one, unfortunately
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The heated shawl comes with speedy overnight shipping and a 30-day return window for Prime members.—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026 Today, the old highway’s status as a national thoroughfare has been supplanted by the much speedier Interstate 55.—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026 Miami, which isn’t likely to bring wide receiver Tyreek Hill back due to injury (knee) and cost ($31 million against the salary cap), could use a bigger wide receiver to go alongside speedy Jaylen Waddle.—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026 The whippet-fast lift system got even more efficient this season with the introduction of the Explorer Gondola, the world’s speediest 10-person gondola that ferries skiers from base to peak on heated seats.—Amy Tara Koch, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speedy
Word History
Etymology
Middle English spedi "beneficial, unencumbered, agile, prompt," from sped "luck, success, assistance, rate of progress" + -i-y entry 1 — more at speed entry 1