accelerate
To speed up a process or increase the pace
Examples
In a meeting
“We need to accelerate the hiring process to meet our Q2 goals.”
Over coffee
“Let's accelerate our plans and leave this weekend instead of next month.”
Why this word
speed up
accelerate implies a measurable increase in rate over time, while speed up is more casual and less precise about the progression
quicken
accelerate suggests a continuous increase in velocity, while quicken simply means to make faster without emphasizing the increasing nature
hasten
accelerate is more technical and quantifiable, while hasten is more literary and focuses on making something happen sooner rather than increasing rate
Usage tip
Use when you want to increase speed or shorten timelines without sacrificing quality
Etymology
Latin 'accelerare' from 'ad-' (to) + 'celerare' (hasten) from 'celer' (swift)
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Related words
generate
To cause something to arise or come about; to produce.
precipitate
To cause something to happen suddenly or sooner than expected
expeditious
Done quickly and efficiently
accelerating
Speed up the pace or progress of something
prioritize
To decide the order of importance and deal with the most important things first.
bottleneck
A point of congestion that slows down progress