Describing Speed: English Vocabulary List

done or moving at a fast pace with a sense of urgency or haste

"He made a hurried exit."

"She gave a hurried glance at her watch, realizing she was already late for her important appointment."

done with excessive speed or urgency

"Don't make a hasty decision."

"The hasty decision to quit his job without having another one lined up was a big mistake."

happening one after the other

"He asked rapid-fire questions."

"The rapid fire questions from the reporter made the politician uncomfortable and he struggled to answer them all."

occurring or moving with great speed

"The response was swift."

"The swift current of the river carried the boat downstream faster than they expected it would go."

moving or progressing at a faster rate than usual

"The pace is accelerated."

"The accelerated learning program allowed gifted students to finish high school two years earlier than their peers."

characterized by swiftness and rapid movement

"The delivery was speedful."

"The speedful response of the emergency services saved the man's life after his heart attack at work."

done quickly without much time

"The job felt rushed."

"The rushed job on the renovation meant that many details were overlooked and had to be fixed later."

moving, reacting, or functioning more slowly than usual

"The engine is sluggish."

"The sluggish growth of the company's profits has caused concern among investors and management alike."

moving too slowly, hence falling behind

"The team is lagging."

"The lagging computer took nearly five minutes to boot up so he finally decided to buy a new one."

happening in a relaxed and unrushed manner

"The pace was unhurried."

"The unhurried pace of life in the small town was a welcome change for the busy family."

to slow down or reduce the speed of something

"The car will decelerate."

"The train will decelerate gradually as it approaches the station so passengers should hold onto the handrails to avoid losing their balance."

to speed up or accelerate

"Her pulse will quicken."

"Her heart began to quicken as she walked alone through the dark empty parking lot late at night."

to become faster

"They will speed up."

"The cyclist decided to speed up to catch up with the group that had gotten ahead of him on the steep hill."

to accelerate one's movement with a sense of speed or urgency

"We must hasten now."

"The approaching storm forced the hikers to hasten their descent down the mountain to reach shelter before the rain started."