Phrase guide

speed up

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /spiːdˈʌp/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To accelerate; to increase speed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, intransitive

Examples

  • The car sped up as it went around the corner.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pick up speed

Antonyms: hold up, let up, slow, slow down, slow up

2

verb

Meaning 2

To accelerate (something): to increase its speed, to make it go faster.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • You shouldn't speed up your car when you go around corners.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: hold up, slow, slow down

3

verb

Meaning 3

move faster

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The car accelerated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accelerate, speed, quicken

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: intensify, deepen

Narrower terms: brisk, brisk up, brisken

4

verb

Meaning 4

cause to move faster

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He accelerated the car

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accelerate, speed

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: tezləşmək — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 加速 (jiāsù) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 加快 (jiākuài) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 變快 /变快 (biànkuài) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Czech: zrychlit — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Finnish: kiihdyttää — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Finnish: lisätä vauhtia — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Finnish: nopeutua — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Finnish: vauhdittua — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Finnish: kiihtyä — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • French: accélérer — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Galician: acelerar — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Georgian: დაჩქარება (dačkareba) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Georgian: აჩქარება (ačkareba) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Hungarian: gyorsul — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Hungarian: felgyorsul — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Ido: rapideskar — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Norman: prendre dé l'ièrre — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Romanian: accelera — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Romanian: iuți — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Romanian: grăbi — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: ускоря́ться (uskorjátʹsja) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: уско́риться (uskóritʹsja) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: убыстря́ться (ubystrjátʹsja) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: убы́стриться (ubýstritʹsja) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: увели́чивать ско́рость (uvelíčivatʹ skórostʹ) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: увели́чить ско́рость (uvelíčitʹ skórostʹ) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Spanish: acelerar — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Spanish: apurarse — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Swedish: öka hastigheten — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Tagalog: bilisan — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Turkish: hızlanmak — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Uyghur: تېزلەشمەك (tëzleshmek) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Uyghur: ئىلداملىماق (ildamlimaq) — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Welsh: cyflymu — increase speed (intransitive) — see also accelerate
  • Azerbaijani: tezləşdirmək — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Belarusian: паскара́ць (paskarácʹ) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Belarusian: паско́рыць (paskórycʹ) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 加速 (jiāsù) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 加快 (jiākuài) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Czech: zrychlit — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Finnish: kiihdyttää — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Finnish: nopeuttaa — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Finnish: vauhdittaa — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • French: accélérer — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Galician: acelerar — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Georgian: დაჩქარება (dačkareba) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • German: beschleunigen — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Hungarian: gyorsít — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Hungarian: felgyorsít — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Hungarian: meggyorsít — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Ido: rapidigar — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Italian: stringere i tempi — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Japanese: スピードを出す (supīdo wo dasu) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Latin: accelerō — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Polish: przyspieszać — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Polish: przyspieszyć — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Polish: przyśpieszać — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Polish: przyśpieszyć — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Romanian: accelera — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: ускоря́ть (uskorjátʹ) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: уско́рить (uskóritʹ) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: убыстря́ть (ubystrjátʹ) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Russian: убы́стрить (ubýstritʹ) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Spanish: acelerar — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Spanish: apurar — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Swedish: öka — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Tagalog: bilisan — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Turkish: hızlandırmak — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Ukrainian: приско́рювати (pryskórjuvaty) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Ukrainian: приско́рити (pryskóryty) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Ukrainian: пришви́дшувати (pryšvýdšuvaty) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Ukrainian: пришви́дшити (pryšvýdšyty) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Uyghur: تېزلەشتۈرمەك (tëzleshtürmek) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Uyghur: ئىلداملاتماق (ildamlatmaq) — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate
  • Welsh: cyflymu — increase speed (transitive) — see also accelerate