speed
Base form
speed
/spiːd/
Past simple
sped / speeded
/sped/ /ˈspiːdɪd/
Past participle
sped / speeded
/sped/ /ˈspiːdɪd/
MeaningB2
to move along quickly
a speeding ticket
In use
- After a modal verb · Form 1The train will speed through the tunnel in a few seconds.
- Question · Form 1Why do the bikes speed down this hill every morning?
- Past simple · Form 2Yesterday an ambulance sped past us with its lights flashing.
- Past simple · Form 2Last night the robbers sped away in a stolen car.
- Present perfect · Form 3The months have sped by since we moved here.
- Past perfect · Form 3By the time we got outside, the car had sped off.
Watch out
Sped /sped/ is the usual past for moving fast: the car sped away; speeded is also right, especially with up. Spead and speded are wrong.
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