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 speedy style of play popularized in chess’ digital arena is somewhat reliant on the honor system.—Corey Williams, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025 Don’t forget to take a photo of the animal to share on social media to increase the chances of a speedy return home.—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025 The new distribution center will cater to major cities like Riyadh and Jeddah, but also secondary ones in the Gulf nation, where ultra speedy deliveries of 90 minutes or less are on the rise.—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025 The wedding started right on time thanks to everyone's speedy support.—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 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
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