speed-merchant

A speed-merchant races his sports car down an open highway.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who likes to drive a car very fast: "speed-merchant" refers to an individual, typically a driver, who habitually or enthusiastically drives at high speeds, often recklessly or for thrill-seeking purposes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He's a real speed-merchant; he always races down the highway at 100 miles per hour. (A person who enjoys driving very fast.)
  • The police caught the speed-merchant speeding through the residential area. (A driver who drives recklessly fast.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a speed-merchant": to have a reputation for driving extremely fast.
  • Ever since he bought that sports car, he's become a speed-merchant on the weekends. (He now drives very fast for enjoyment.)

Variants and Related Words

• Speed (n): the rate at which something moves or operates.
  • The car's speed exceeded 120 miles per hour. (The rate of movement.)
• Merchant (n): a person involved in the trade of goods, but here used figuratively to mean "one who habitually does something."
  • He is a speed-merchant, not a merchant of goods. (Figurative usage for a person who is a "dealer" in speed.)

Synonyms

• Leadfoot: a person who drives too fast (informal, US).
• Speed demon: a person who drives or moves very fast (informal).
• Racer: a person who competes in races, but also used for fast drivers.

Related Idioms

• To put the pedal to the metal: to drive as fast as possible.
  • The speed-merchant put the pedal to the metal and sped away. (He accelerated to maximum speed.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Speed up: to increase speed.
  • The speed-merchant sped up as soon as the road cleared. (He increased his driving speed.)