accelerating

The car is accelerating down the open highway.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Increasing in speed: "accelerating" describes something that is becoming faster or moving at a progressively greater velocity.
   • Growing more rapidly: It can also refer to processes or rates that are increasing in intensity or frequency.

2. Verb (present participle of "accelerate"):

   • To cause to move faster: The action of increasing the speed of an object, process, or activity.
   • To hasten progress: To make something happen more quickly or advance at a greater pace.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The accelerating car left the other vehicles behind. (The car was increasing its speed.)
  • We are witnessing an accelerating rate of technological change. (The rate of change is growing faster.)

• Verb (present participle):

  • She is accelerating her studies to finish the course early. (She is making her studies progress more quickly.)
  • The economy is accelerating after the recession. (The economy is growing at a faster pace.)

Advanced Usage

• "accelerating force": In physics, a force that increases the velocity of an object.

  • The accelerating force of gravity pulls objects toward the Earth. (The force that causes objects to speed up as they fall.)

• "accelerating inflation": A situation where the rate of price increases is itself rising.

  • Economists fear accelerating inflation will harm consumer spending. (Inflation that is becoming more rapid.)

Variants and Related Words

• Acceleration (noun): the act or process of increasing speed.

  • The car's acceleration was impressive. (Its ability to increase speed quickly.)

• Accelerator (noun): a device that increases speed, such as a pedal in a vehicle.

  • He pressed the accelerator to go faster. (The pedal that controls speed.)

• Accelerate (verb, base form): to increase speed.

  • You need to accelerate to merge onto the highway. (Increase your speed.)

Synonyms

• Quickening: becoming faster or more active.
• Speeding up: increasing in velocity or rate.
• Rapidly advancing: moving forward at a growing pace.

Antonyms

• Decelerating: slowing down.
• Slowing: reducing speed or rate.
• Retarding: hindering or delaying progress.

Related Idioms

• "Put the pedal to the metal": to accelerate to maximum speed.

  • To win the race, he put the pedal to the metal. (He accelerated as much as possible.)

• "Gain momentum": to increase speed or progress over time.

  • The campaign is gaining momentum. (It is accelerating in its effectiveness.)