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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Eventually, the original lender for the property lost patience with the prior owners and seized the current building at the site through a speedy foreclosure.—George Avalos, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026 The world’s largest coffee company is dangling big bonuses for friendly and speedy service in its cafes.—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026 Both promise speedy closing times, are available in most states and offer an easy-to-use, fully online application.—Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026 Prosecutor Dominic Gentile, who argued against a delay, said Wednesday the public has a right to a speedy trial.—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 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