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 Web
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.
Everything until that point suggested that the speedy, talented playmaking center was on an accelerated path to stardom.—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 29 May 2025 The question of the legality of Trump’s use of the 1798 law, previously used primarily during wartime, is likely to make its way back to the Supreme Court, as lower courts consider whether Trump properly invoked the statute allowing for the speedy removal of foreign nationals.—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 29 May 2025 With a speedy 165Hz refresh rate that can lock to AMD graphics cards to reduce glitches, and sharp WQHD resolution, this is a decent display that looks even better with a 33% discount.—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 May 2025 Additionally, accurate and up-to-date sanctions data is also important for financial institutions, especially instant payment service providers in the European Union, for whom daily and speedy screening against EU restrictive measures is now a legal obligation.—Khurram Akhtar, Forbes.com, 23 May 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
Share