Antonyms for speed up


Grammar : Verb
Spell : speed
Phonetic Transcription : spid


Definition of speed up

Origin :
  • Old English sped "success, prosperity, advancement," from Proto-Germanic *spodiz (cf. Old Saxon spod "success," Dutch spoed "haste, speed," Old High German spuot "success," Old Saxon spodian "to cause to succeed," Middle Dutch spoeden, Old High German spuoten "to haste"), from PIE *spo-ti- "speed," from *spe- "to thrive, prosper" (cf. Sanskrit sphayate "increases," Latin sperare "to hope," Old Church Slavonic spechu "endeavor," Lithuanian speju "to have leisure").
  • Meaning "quickness of motion or progress" emerged in late Old English (usually adverbially, in dative plural, e.g. spedum feran), emerging fully in early Middle English. Meaning "gear of a machine" is attested from 1866. Meaning "methamphetamine, or a related drug," first attested 1967, from its effect on users. Speed bump is 1975; figurative sense is 1990s. Full speed is recorded from late 14c. Speed reading first attested 1965. Speedball "mix of cocaine and morphine or heroin" is recorded from 1909.
  • As in precipitate : verb hurry, speed
  • As in push : verb incite, urge
  • As in rise : verb increase, grow
  • As in rush : verb hurry, speed
  • As in accelerate : verb increase speed, timing
  • As in step up : verb accelerate
  • As in add : verb adjoin, increase; make further comment
  • As in untighten : verb ease
  • As in ease : verb alleviate, help
  • As in expedite : verb make happen faster
  • As in facilitate : verb assist the progress of
  • As in hurry : verb act, move speedily
Example sentences :
  • The war will speed up "belief" in some and "disbelief" in others.
  • Extract from : « Another Sheaf » by John Galsworthy
  • If you'll speed up you'll get the jump on those fellows every time.
  • Extract from : « Left End Edwards » by Ralph Henry Barbour
  • Then we could speed up to the point where we could polish ourselves off.
  • Extract from : « Mercenary » by Dallas McCord Reynolds
  • We'll introduce the chariot and also heavy carts to speed up logistics.
  • Extract from : « Adaptation » by Dallas McCord Reynolds
  • Good Lord, man, you'll get nabbed if you speed up like this within limits.
  • Extract from : « Red Pepper Burns » by Grace S. Richmond
  • What you'll have to do this year, my boy, is speed up a little.
  • Extract from : « Left Guard Gilbert » by Ralph Henry Barbour
  • Then the curtain stuck, and we was kept hanging about for a minute, and had to speed up.
  • Extract from : « Nights in London » by Thomas Burke
  • We've been able to speed up the life processes of the microbes about ten times.
  • Extract from : « Bolden's Pets » by F. L. Wallace
  • He shoved his speed up and up while Jimmy sat with his heart in his mouth.
  • Extract from : « The Flying Reporter » by Lewis E. (Lewis Edwin) Theiss
  • There had been attempts to speed up the transport before the railways were made.
  • Extract from : « The Argentine Republic » by Pierre Denis

Synonyms for speed up

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019