Dictionary

speed up en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /spiːdˈʌp/
• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To accelerate; to increase speed.
   • The car sped up as it went around the corner.
2. (transitive) To accelerate (something): to increase its speed, to make it go faster.
   • The through Moorgate service has been most handsomely speeded up, and suburban trains in both directions now run non-stop between Kings Cross (Underground) and Elstree. 1960 February, “The dieselised St. Pancras suburban service”, in Trains Illustrated, page 95:
   • You shouldn't speed up your car when you go around corners.
   • More fast trains between England and Scotland, and additional "car-sleeper" overnight services for motorists, are important features of British Railways summer timetables, which come into operation on June 17. In all, 98 long-distance trains will be speeded-up to save 10-75 min. and many will make non-stop runs at an average speed of 60 m.p.h. or more. 1957 June 14, “Notes and News: B.R. Summer Passenger Services”, in Railway Magazine, page 433:
   • Work on anti-frost precautions on diesel locomotives is to be speeded up to ensure that most if not all locomotives have been dealt with before the winter sets in. 1964 September, “Motive Power Miscellany: BR Workshops”, in Modern Railways, page 220:
   • HM Chief Inspector of Railways has stepped in to speed up work to resolve incidents of overspeeding, having been concerned that progress on the issue has been too slow. 2026 February 18, David Stubbings, “ORR steps in to improve industry response to overspeed incidents”, in RAIL, number 1055, page 9:

Forms

Antonyms

unaccelerate · slow down · slow · retard · let up · rein in · slow up · slow up · slow · hold up · slow · hold up · slow down · immobilize · decelerate · stop · slow down · put the brakes on

Coordinates

rush · hurry · rush · hurry

Deriveds

speedup · speed-up

Hypernyms

increase

Hyponyms

burn rubber · floor it · step on it · peel out · give it the gun · put the pedal to the metal · lay rubber · put one's foot down · tach up · hit the gas · rev up · step on the gas · redline

Relateds

immediately · rush · quickly

Synonyms

get one's ass in gear · get a move on · surge · quicken · get one's skates on · step up · put on · accelerate · smarten · pick up speed · speed up · hasten · get it on · chop-chop · hurry up · mend one's pace · get a wiggle on · pick up speed · get the lead out

Translations (76)

uk приско́рити (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · fr accélérer (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · az tezləşmək (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · fi kiihdyttää (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · cy cyflymu (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · cmn 加快 (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ka აჩქარება (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · pl przyśpieszać (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ru убы́стриться (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ru уско́риться (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ro accelera (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ru увели́чить ско́рость (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · tl bilisan (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ru уско́рить (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ja スピードを出す (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · es apurarse (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · fi vauhdittaa (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · hu felgyorsul (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ug ئىلداملىماق (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · cmn 加速 (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · gl acelerar (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ug تېزلەشمەك (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · uk приско́рювати (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · pl przyśpieszyć (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · be паско́рыць (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · es acelerar (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · sv öka (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · tr hızlanmak (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · pl przyspieszać (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · hu gyorsul (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · cmn 加速 (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ru увели́чивать ско́рость (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · fi lisätä vauhtia (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · hu meggyorsít (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ug تېزلەشتۈرمەك (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · it stringere i tempi (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · la accelerō (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · cy cyflymu (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · de beschleunigen (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ru убы́стрить (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ka დაჩქარება (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ru убыстря́ться (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · uk пришви́дшити (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · pl przyspieszyć (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · fi vauhdittua (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · fi nopeuttaa (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · cmn 變快 /变快 (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · es acelerar (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · fi nopeutua (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ug ئىلداملاتماق (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · hu felgyorsít (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · sv öka hastigheten (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · tl bilisan (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · io rapidigar (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · io rapideskar (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · nrf prendre dé l'ièrre (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ru ускоря́ть (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · cs zrychlit (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · be паскара́ць (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · fi kiihtyä (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · ru убыстря́ть (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · es apurar (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · tr hızlandırmak (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ro iuți (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · gl acelerar (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · cs zrychlit (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · cmn 加快 (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · az tezləşdirmək (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · hu gyorsít (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ro accelera (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ka დაჩქარება (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · fi kiihdyttää (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ru ускоря́ться (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate) · fr accélérer (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · uk пришви́дшувати (increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate) · ro grăbi (increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate)