speed
gb/spˈid/ us/spˈid/
A2
English
~ 1300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
quantity
1
rate of movement
How fast someone or something moves.
Usage pattern:
the speed of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'speed' with 'time', saying 'the speed is 3 hours' instead of 'it takes 3 hours'.
Synonyms
velocity (More technical, often used in physics.)
Antonyms
slowness (Refers to a low rate of movement.)
Collocations
high speed
|top speed
|speed limit
|average speed
|speed camera
Themes
transportation
|science
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The car was traveling at a speed of 80 miles per hour.
- He increased his running speed to win the race.
- The train picked up speed as it left the station.
Learner examples
- The bus is moving at high speed.
- She runs at a good speed.
- The bike is going at slow speed.
Verb
B1
action
2
move quickly
To go from one place to another fast.
Usage pattern:
to speed [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly use 'speed' without 'up' when meaning 'increase speed', as in 'The car speed' instead of 'The car sped up'.
Synonyms
hurry (Implies urgency but not necessarily high velocity.)
Antonyms
crawl (To move very slowly.)
Collocations
speed away
|speed off
|speed through
|speed past
Themes
transportation
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|travel
Examples
- The ambulance sped through the traffic.
- She sped home after hearing the news.
- They sped past us on the highway.
Learner examples
- The car speeds down the road.
- He speeds to work every day.
- They speed past the bus stop.
Noun
A2
quantity
3
legal travel limit
The fastest you can legally drive on a road.
Usage pattern:
the speed limit on [road] is [number]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'speed limit' with 'average speed'.
Synonyms
velocity limit (Technical term, rare in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
no limit (A situation where no maximum speed is enforced.)
Collocations
exceed the speed limit
|set a speed limit
|obey the speed limit
Themes
law
|transportation
Examples
- The speed limit here is 50 kilometers per hour.
- He was fined for breaking the speed limit.
- They plan to reduce the speed limit in school zones.
Learner examples
- The speed limit is 60 km/h.
- Do not drive over the speed limit.
- She drives under the speed limit.
Noun
B1
property
4
quickness in action
How fast you can do something.
Synonyms
quickness (Slightly more informal and general.)
Antonyms
sluggishness (Slow and lacking energy.)
Collocations
work with speed
|speed and efficiency
|speed of response
Themes
sports
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her typing speed is impressive.
- Speed is important in emergency situations.
- He admired the speed of her decision-making.
Learner examples
- My typing speed is fast.
- We need more speed in this game.
- He works with good speed.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
5
illegal stimulant drug
An illegal drug that makes people feel more awake and active.
Synonyms
amphetamine (Scientific term for the substance, used in medical contexts.)
Collocations
take speed
|on speed
Themes
drugs
|health
Examples
- He was arrested for possessing speed.
- Speed can be highly addictive.
- They found packets of speed hidden in his car.
Learner examples
- Speed is a dangerous drug.
- He took speed last night.
- Police found speed in his bag.
Grammar
Dictionary form
speed
IPA
GB/spˈid/
US/spˈid/
Syllables & stress
speed (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (speed)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: speed
- Plural: speed, speeds
Verb
- Base: speed
- 3rd Person Singular: speeds
- Present Participle: speeding
- Past: sped, speeded
- Past Participle: sped
Word family
Forms
speeds
noun
speeding
verb
sped
verb
speeded
verb
Core family
speedy
adjective B1
Related words
speedometer
noun
speeder
noun B1
Advanced or less common
speedily
adverb B1
Highlights
- Irregular past participle: sped Verb
Expressions
at full speed
1/ˈæt fˈʊl spˈid/
fixed phrase
as fast as possible
Moving as fast as possible.
Examples
- The ship was sailing at full speed.
- He ran at full speed to catch the bus.
more haste, less speed
1/mˈɔɹ hˈeɪst | lˈɛs spˈid/
idiom
hurrying causes delays or mistakes overall slowing progress overall
If you try to do something too quickly, you will make mistakes and take longer overall.
Examples
- Remember, more haste, less speed — check your work carefully.
- She learned that more haste, less speed when she broke the vase while rushing.
need for speed
1/nˈid fɚ spˈid/
idiom
informal
strong desire to go very fast
A strong wish to go very fast, especially while driving or racing.
Examples
- His need for speed got him into trouble with the police.
- She has always had a need for speed when skiing.
speed limit
1/spˈid lˈɪmɪt/
fixed phrase
legal maximum vehicle travel rate on road section
The fastest you can legally drive on a certain road.
Examples
- This road has a speed limit of 70 mph.
- He was caught driving over the speed limit.
speed up
1/spˈid ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
increase movement rate or progress pace
To make something or someone go faster or happen sooner.
Examples
- The driver sped up to overtake the truck.
- We need to speed up production to meet demand.