In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items.
This set of language tips explores the words and phrases we use to describe movement. This week’s tip looks at verbs and phrases that mean to move faster:
speed up to start to move faster:
- Drivers speed up as they leave the village.
- She speeded up until she was almost running.
accelerate if a vehicle or a driver accelerates, the vehicle starts to move faster:
- Suddenly the van accelerated.
- He accelerated up a dark steep hill.
put on speed or put on a spurt to suddenly move faster:
- They put on speed until they caught up with him.
- She put on a bit of a spurt and overtook me.
gain speed or gather speed or pick up speed if something gains, gathers, or picks up speed, its speed gradually increases:
- The train gathered speed as it left the station.
- The hurricane has picked up speed and turned towards the coast.
Did you know that Macmillan Dictionary includes a full thesaurus? This page lists more ways to say ‘to move faster‘.
More language tips
Browse the list under the ‘language tips‘ tag here on the blog for more useful language tips.
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