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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Accelerate: Definition, Usage & Synonyms (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：speed up (accelerate)

accelerate 🔊

/əkˈseləreɪt/

to start to go faster, like when you press the gas pedal in a car.

Accelerate meaning illustrated by a red racing car speeding down a track, showing motion and increased speed.

speed up 🔊

➕

/ˈspiːd ʌp/

To increase speed, especially of a vehicle or object in motion.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin "acceleratus", combining "ad-" (towards) and "celer" (swift/fast).

💡 Mnemonic

Press ACCEL (accelerator) to go faster. ACCEL sounds like 'excel' in speed.

📖 Example

When I saw the open highway ahead, I decided to accelerate to pass the slow-moving truck. 🔊 Upon noticing the clear road in front, I chose to increase my speed to overtake the slow truck.

🔗 Collocations

accelerate the car – to make the car go faster

accelerate suddenly – to speed up without warning

accelerate rapidly – to increase speed very quickly

🔄 Synonyms

speed up (v.) – to increase speed

hurry (v.) – to move or act with great speed

pick up speed (phr.v.) – to gradually start moving faster

🚫 Antonyms

decelerate (v.) – to slow down

slow down (v.) – to reduce speed

brake (v.) – to use a brake to reduce speed

🌱 Derivatives

acceleration (n.) – the rate of increase of speed or velocity

accelerator (n.) – a pedal that controls a vehicle's speed

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin "accelerare" meaning "to hasten", from "celer" (swift). In modern contexts, it's central to discussions of automotive technology, economic growth, and technological progress (e.g., 'accelerated development').

Meaning 2：expedite (accelerate)

accelerate 🔊

/əkˈseləreɪt/

to make something happen faster or sooner, like speeding up a process or development.

Accelerate definition visualized with a scientist and a fast-flowing hourglass, symbolizing expediting a process.

expedite 🔊

➕

/ˈekspɪdaɪt/

To cause a process or activity to happen more quickly.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The new funding will accelerate the development of our clean energy project. 🔊 The additional investment will speed up the progress of our sustainable energy initiative.

🔗 Collocations

accelerate growth – to make economic or business expansion happen faster

accelerate the process – to make a procedure or series of actions go more quickly

accelerate change – to hasten the rate of transformation or innovation

🔄 Synonyms

expedite (v.) – to make a process happen faster or be accomplished more quickly

hasten (v.) – to cause something to happen sooner

fast-track (v.) – to speed up the progress of something by prioritizing it

🚫 Antonyms

delay (v.) – to make something happen later than planned

slow down (v.) – to cause something to progress at a reduced pace

hinder (v.) – to create difficulties that cause delay

🌱 Derivatives

accelerated (adj.) – happening at a faster than usual rate