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 With 5+, Qualcomm isn’t promising speedier charging than 5's zero to 50% time of five minutes. PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025 De Meo has been tasked with engineering a speedy turnaround for Kering, which has been dragged down by steep declines at its star brand Gucci and a bulging debt load. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025 But all efforts to apprehend the speedy vehicle’s unidentifiable driver were fruitless. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025 For the 2026 version, Mel Jarnson will be playing the speedy soldier. Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for speedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speedy
Adjective
  • Potential applications include areas where both high energy storage and rapid power delivery are essential, such as electric vehicles, drones, and high-demand electronics.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Kraft caught the ball just 5 yards downfield and safety Will Harris had a chance to make an immediate tackle.
    Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • His team have the immediate fixtures to succeed, facing Sunderland and West Ham next.
    Holly Shand, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In fact, a quick review of the central bank’s dot plot underscores just how divided the Fed Governors are on the question of whether to cut interest rates (and by how much) over the next 12 months.
    Paul Weinstein Jr, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Changing your own wipers is quick and easy.
    Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This swift reversal highlights how rapidly speculative investments can dissipate in a market driven more by hype than by underlying fundamentals.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • At the Gates worked at a swift clip, releasing three more albums over the next three years.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As demand for electricity surged to power more electric devices in homes and Big Tech's boom in data centers, renewable energy has been the go-to source for the cheapest, fastest way to generate more juice.
    Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Starlink offers the fastest speeds, Hughesnet has the most affordable plans, and Viasat provides a middle ground with wide availability.
    Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Our Best Smart Hospitals ranking is especially timely.
    Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Over a hundred years later, its Netflix series adaptation Anne With an E is as timely and relevant as ever.
    Anna Earl, Parents, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • There are expressive aromas of bread, pear and yellow plum; medium-full, with a rich, layered mid-palate, there is excellent complexity, significant persistence, brisk acidity and outstanding harmony.
    Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • If left on automatic, the GFX100RF prefers a 1/125-second exposure time, which is brisk enough to eliminate signs of handshake.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 4 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

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Cite this Entry

“Speedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speedy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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