sped

The car sped along the quiet street.

Definition

Sped is the past tense and past participle form of the verb speed.

1. Verb (past tense of "speed"):
   • To have moved or traveled quickly: Describes the action of going or moving at a high rate of speed in the past.
   • To have driven a vehicle faster than the legal limit: Refers to the past act of exceeding the speed limit while driving.
   • To have progressed or developed rapidly: Used figuratively to mean something happened or was done quickly.

Usage Examples

• (The car moved very quickly along the road.)
• (He drove faster than the legal speed limit in that area.)
• (The project progressed rapidly.)
• (She completed her homework very quickly.)

Advanced Usage

• "Sped off": to leave a place very quickly, especially in a vehicle.

  • The ambulance sped off toward the hospital. (The ambulance departed at high speed.)

• "Sped up": to increase the rate of movement or progress.

  • The music sped up as the dancers moved faster. (The tempo of the music increased.)

• "Sped past": to move quickly by someone or something.

  • The cyclist sped past the finish line. (The cyclist crossed the finish line at high speed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Speed (noun): the rate at which someone or something moves or operates.

  • The speed of the train was impressive. (The rate of the train's movement was high.)

• Speedy (adj): moving or able to move quickly.

  • They offered a speedy delivery service. (The delivery was fast.)

• Speedily (adv): in a quick or fast manner.

  • He completed the task speedily. (He finished the task quickly.)

Synonyms

• Raced: moved at high speed, often in competition.

  • The runners raced to the finish line. (They ran very fast.)

• Hurried: moved or acted with haste.

  • She hurried to catch the bus. (She moved quickly.)

• Zoomed: moved quickly with a buzzing or whirring sound (informal).

  • The motorcycle zoomed past us. (The motorcycle passed at high speed.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Speed up: to increase the rate of speed or progress.

  • The driver sped up to pass the truck. (The driver increased the vehicle's speed.)

• Speed along: to move or progress quickly.

  • The negotiations sped along after the initial disagreements were resolved. (The talks progressed rapidly.)

Related Idioms

• Full speed ahead: proceed with maximum effort or without delay.

  • With the funding secured, the team moved full speed ahead on the construction. (They proceeded as fast as possible.)

• Up to speed: fully informed or operating at the required level.

  • Please bring me up to speed on the latest developments. (Please inform me of the current situation.)