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
Recent Examples on the WebAircraft manufacturers debuted new models early in the week: This year, Piper showed off its speedy new turboprop, the 700 hp M700 Fury, and Cirrus presented its latest in the SR series, the G7, along with a concierge-style turnkey ownership program called Cirrus One.—Julie Boatman, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2024 The company led the speedy construction of a new fabrication facility for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. on the southern island of Kyushu, bringing the project to fruition before the US government could dole out its first subsidy check to TSMC and other chipmakers for American fabs.—Takashi Mochizuki, Fortune Asia, 15 Apr. 2024 Such speedy development points to the third paradox: West Sac benefited both because of its distance from, and its proximity to, the city of Sacramento.—Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2024 The idea of featuring him in Hertz commercials to symbolize speedy service, beginning in 1974, originated with the company’s ad agency.—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024 The speedy guard was considered a potential No. 1 pick early in the season before suffering a broken hand that kept him out for four weeks, which coincided with a six-game losing streak for the Trojans.—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 In that galactic center, stars are packed much closer together than in the sun’s neighborhood, similar to rush hour commuters in the Big Apple, flinging about in their speedy orbits around the black hole.—Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2024 The pair was initially set to be tried together, but a judge severed their trials after Daybell waived his right to a speedy trial.—CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024 How Francis Scott Key Bridge was lost:A minute-by-minute visual analysis of the collapse
Gov. Moore calls for 'speedy' investigation, accountability
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Sunday stressed the need for a thorough investigation into the cause of the disaster and for accountability.—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speedy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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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