speedier; speediest
Synonyms of speedynext
: marked by swiftness of motion or action
speedily adverb
speediness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for speedy

fast, rapid, swift, fleet, quick, speedy, hasty, expeditious mean moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity.

fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves

fast horses

and rapid to the movement itself.

rapid current

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The idea of bringing speedy, low-power optical interconnects all the way to the processor has fired the imagination of engineers for years. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 2025 Its abnormally high velocity of 36 miles per second (58 kilometers per second) told us that the speedy object, which became known as 3I/ATLAS, had probably been wandering interstellar space and receiving gravitational nudges from nearby stars since before our solar system even existed. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2025 Mitchell, 27, has plenty of experience to serve as a speedy depth option behind Rhamondre Stevenson to pair with D’Ernest Johnson as a backup. Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025 That speedy appeal process was granted last month. Adam Reiss, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025 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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of speedy was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speedy. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

speedy

adjective
speedier; speediest
: moving or taking place fast
speedily adverb
speediness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on speedy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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