Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

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speed, speeds, speeding, sped

Synonyms: race, hurry, rush, accelerate, dash

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Antonyms: slow, decelerate, crawl, linger, dawdle

The Verb Speed – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb speed is an irregular verb that means to move or travel very quickly. It also has the specific meaning of driving a vehicle faster than the legal limit.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: speed
■ Past Simple: sped (or speeded)
■ Past Participle: sped (or speeded)
■ Present Participle/Gerund: speeding


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Speed' is used to describe rapid motion.


1. Moving Quickly
This is its general meaning for any fast movement.


■ Motion: 'The ambulance sped down the empty street.'
■ Figurative: 'Time seems to speed up when you're having fun.'


2. Exceeding the Speed Limit
This is a specific legal context.


■ Driving: 'The police officer pulled him over for speeding.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: 'SPED' VS. 'SPEEDED'


The two past tense forms are often used in slightly different contexts, though there is overlap.


■ Sped: This is the much more common and generally preferred form, especially for the meaning 'to move quickly.'
■ Example: 'The car sped away from the scene.'

■ Example: 'She speeded up to overtake the truck.'
   In most cases, choosing sped is the safer and more natural option.