More haste, less speed.
Source: tatoeba (19689)
Speed
/spiːd/
Synonyms for "speed" (381 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (77)
Noun(16 words)
abruptnessaccelerateadvanceadvantageaidair speedalacrityamphetamineamphetamine sulfateassistball the jackbarrelbatbenzedrinebenzedrine pillboltboomboostbowl alongbreeze
Verb(12 words)
Adjective(3 words)
accelerated pacealgorithmic efficiencybiological reaction
Strong matches (114)
dexamyl pilldexedrinedexedrine pilldextroamphetamine sulfatedispatchdrivedrive ondusteaseegg onencourageexpediteexpeditionexpeditiousnessexplainfacilitatefacilityfastnessfavorfeverishness
Show 60 more words
flashfleetfleetnessflightflitflurryflyfly lowfootfootballforceforwardfuriousnessfurtherfussgaitgo fastgoad ongreasegrease the waysgrease the wheelsground speedhastehastenhasten onhastinessheadwayhearthelphelp alonghickoryhie onhighballhinderhound onhurriednesshurryhurry alonghurry onhurry uphurtlehustlehustle upimpetuosityimpetuousnessimpulsivenessinstantaneousnessjolly beanknotknotslegeritylend wings tolightning speedlooselubricatemake clearmake formake hastemake knotsmake tracks
Noun(23 words)
dispatchesefficiencyexpress railf numberfast pacefastnessfastnessesfleetsfocal ratiogallopgear rotationsgo fasthastenhasteninghasteshastinghigh speedhurryingindividual paceinstantaneous speed
Adjective(1 words)
lively pace
Related words (190)
make way formethamphetamine hydrochloridemethedrinemiles per hourmovenipoilopen the wayopen upoutstrip the windpacepave the waypep pillpour it onprecipitanceprecipitancyprecipitateprecipitatenessprecipitationprecipitousness
Show 94 more words
prepare the waypresspromotepromptitudepromptnesspurple heartpushpush forwardpush onpush throughput forwardquickenquicknessracerailroadrailroad throughrapidityrashnessrattleremove frictionriproot onround pacerpmrunrun interference forrushrush alongrustlescamperscorchscourscramblescudscurryset forwardshake upshock waveshootsimplifysizzleskedaddleskimsmokesmoothsmooth the waysnappinesssnowsoap the wayssonic barriersonic boomsound barrierspeed alongspeed of soundspeed onspeed upspeedinesssprintspurspur onstampedestep on itstep upstimulantstormstorm alongstreaksuddennesssweepswift rateswiftnessteartear alongtempothunder alongtimelinessunbarunblockunclogunjamupperurgeurge onvelocitywhipwhip alongwhip onwhirlwhishwhiskwhizzingzipzoom
Noun(59 words)
mean ratemean speedmflopmost rapidmotor relatedmove quicklymovement descriptor termmovement speednetwork transfer ratepacespacingpep pillplaybackquicknessquicksilverracesracingrapidnessraterate of change
Show 39 more words
rate of progressrate scienceratesresponsivenessrevolutionarily rapidrocketingrushrushesrushingsailfishesscudscuddingscudsspeed magnitudespeed upspeedingstop numberstreaksswiftnesssystem performancetear uptempitempotempostravel fastupperuppersvelocitiesvelocity vector magnitudewarp speedwhizzwhizzeswhizzingzapszingszippingzipszoomingzooms
Adverb(1 words)
more accelerating
Adjective(2 words)
musical temporapid pace
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: velocity, abruptness, accelerate, accelerate, accelerate.
- Sentence evidence is available for speed, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, moby, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "speed".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "speed"
Keep "speed" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "speed" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "speed", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "speed" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
27 entriesShowing 16 of 27 words.
More specific
18 entriesaccelerateapply thrustaverage walking speedcoastcruisecruise speeddata transfer speedincrease accelerationmean speedopen throttlereaction speedreduce dragrunning speedspeed of lightspeed of soundsprint
Showing 16 of 18 words.
Collocations
9 entriesaverage speedconstant speeddecrease speedincrease speedinstantaneous speedmaintain speedspeed of lightspeed of soundterminal speed
Inflections
4 entriesDerivations
6 entriesSample sentences
42 total sentences available.
We should observe the speed limit.
Source: tatoeba (22867)
Science and technology have come to pervade every aspect of our lives and, as a result, society is changing at a speed which is quite unprecedented.
Source: tatoeba (23992)
The driver increased his speed.
Source: tatoeba (26594)
Showing 4 of 42 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "speed"?
Closest matches include velocity, abruptness, accelerate, accelerate, accelerate.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "speed"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.