Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective speedy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of speedy are expeditious, fast, fleet, hasty, quick, rapid, and swift. While all these words mean "moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity," speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment and may also suggest unusual velocity.

speedy delivery of mail

When can expeditious be used instead of speedy?

The words expeditious and speedy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

How do fast and rapid relate to one another, in the sense of speedy?

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

fast horses

When could fleet be used to replace speedy?

Although the words fleet and speedy have much in common, fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

When is it sensible to use hasty instead of speedy?

In some situations, the words hasty and speedy are roughly equivalent. However, hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

When is quick a more appropriate choice than speedy?

While in some cases nearly identical to speedy, quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

Where would rapid be a reasonable alternative to speedy?

The synonyms rapid and speedy are sometimes interchangeable, but rapid applies to the movement itself, rather than to the thing that moves.

rapid current

When might swift be a better fit than speedy?

While the synonyms swift and speedy are close in meaning, swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of speedy The entry-level model costs $3,799 and features an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU, 64GB of speedy DDR5-5600MHz RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, a 2TB SSD, and an 18-inch UHD+ (3,840-by-2,400-pixel) mini LED display. Mark Coppock, PC Magazine, 20 Sep. 2025 The engine is adequate but not speedy, especially in non-hybrid trims, and some rivals beat it on handling or driving engagement. Josh Max, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 The stunt coordinator may have been looking out for Brad, but his speedy driving in the Karmann Ghia nearly caused a casualty. Jay Glennie, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025 At his best Jarren Duran is a game-changing talent, but this year the speedy outfielder has rarely been at his best against lefties. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for speedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speedy
Adjective
  • Industry leaders like Epic, Microsoft, Doximity, athenahealth and Oracle have been rolling out new capabilities at a rapid clip.
    Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Bernardo lamented the success teams were having on the break against City after their defeat against Al Hilal in the Club World Cup in July, but City are giving teams a taste of their own medicine, with Haaland leading these rapid attacks.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • WellSpace has an immediate care program that can offer brief visits for people who must be seen right away, but full-service visits with providers may begin to take longer.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
  • This outcome has immediate repercussions.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Pressing less, fewer long spells of possession, quicker to work the ball through the thirds.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Choosing to engage means players can toss out one of their own Pokémon, all accessible at any time with quick button presses, or just skip the process and chuck a Poke ball at the back of the creature’s head.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The backlash was swift, with figures like Senator Ted Cruz condemning the remarks and FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatening to scrutinize ABC’s broadcast standards.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey addressed the incident Wednesday, expressing concern for the injured students and their families while thanking school staff and first responders for their swift action.
    Doc Louallen, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Selling a player is the fastest way to do that; selling an academy player with little to no book value is the most efficient.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Time will tell whether the new system will deliver on its promises of more reliable and faster border crossings.
    Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Jon Devine, senior economist at Cotton Incorporated, keeps key stakeholders in the textile and investment communities informed via timely market analyses of commodity economics and factors influencing their stability.
    SJ Guest Editorial, Sourcing Journal, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The Met production is particularly timely.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Leisurely walking, especially for short distances, may not be enough to get the full potential benefit compared with walking longer distances at a brisker pace.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
  • The Spa Set at one of the far ends of the lodge, the wellness area has two treatment rooms, a steam room, and a plunge pool maintained at a brisk 50 degrees.
    Rebekah Peppler, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As his health faded in the last year of his life, Neruda rushed to finish his story, which gives the last chapters of his book a galloping, fragmented quality.
    Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 June 2021
  • Designed by renowned architect Dominique Perrault, its four stories tilting forward are said to evoke a galloping horse.
    Rob Hodgetts at Longchamp, CNN, 15 Oct. 2019

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speedy. Accessed 27 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on speedy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!