accelerate
B2Neutral to Formal. Common in academic, technical, and business contexts; also used in everyday language, particularly when discussing driving.
Definition
Meaning
To begin to move or proceed more quickly; to cause something to increase in speed or rate.
To make something happen sooner or more quickly; to undergo a rise in rate or progress. In physics, to change velocity.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a verb, both transitive and intransitive. The sense of increasing speed can be literal (physical motion) or metaphorical (processes, growth). It implies a positive change in pace, not just any change.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Spelling is identical. Minor potential difference in collocation frequency in very specific technical or corporate jargon.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties. Slightly more likely to be used in corporate 'buzzword' contexts (e.g., 'accelerate growth') in American business English.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[S] + accelerate (intransitive)[S] + accelerate + [O] (transitive)[S] + accelerate + to + [speed/figure]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Put the pedal to the metal (related idiom for driving)”
- “Step on it (related idiom for hurrying)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To increase the rate of growth, production, or implementation. E.g., 'The new strategy aims to accelerate market penetration.'
Academic
Often used in physics for change in velocity, or in social sciences for processes. E.g., 'Technological innovation can accelerate cultural change.'
Everyday
Most commonly related to driving a vehicle or describing a sudden increase in pace. E.g., 'The runner accelerated in the final stretch.'
Technical
In physics and engineering, a precise term for rate of change of velocity. In computing, to use hardware to perform functions faster.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The government needs to accelerate the rollout of broadband in rural areas.
- As the lights turned green, the lorry accelerated slowly.
American English
- The company plans to accelerate its investments in renewable energy.
- He accelerated onto the freeway, merging smoothly with traffic.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used. 'Acceleratively' is extremely rare and non-standard.
- No standard adverbial form.
American English
- Not commonly used. 'Acceleratively' is extremely rare and non-standard.
- No standard adverbial form.
adjective
British English
- The accelerating pace of technological change is remarkable.
- We observed an accelerating decline in pollinator numbers.
American English
- The accelerating costs of healthcare are a major concern.
- The team worked with accelerating enthusiasm as the deadline neared.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Push this pedal to accelerate the car.
- The bike accelerated down the hill.
- The economy is starting to accelerate after a slow period.
- She accelerated her studying as the exam date got closer.
- The new software is designed to accelerate data processing by up to 50%.
- Climate change is causing sea levels to rise at an accelerating rate.
- Foreign investment has acted as a catalyst to accelerate the country's industrial development.
- The particles accelerate rapidly when exposed to the magnetic field.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a car's ACCELERATOR pedal. You press it to ACCELERATE. Both words share 'accele-'.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROGRESS IS MOTION / SPEED IS SUCCESS. 'Accelerating a project' frames project completion as a journey where increased speed is desirable.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'accelerate' as a direct translation for 'ускорять' in every context where 'speed up' is more natural (e.g., 'speed up the video').
- Do not confuse with 'accentuate' (подчёркивать) or 'accumulate' (накапливать).
- Remember it is not 'accept' (принимать).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect spelling: 'acelerate', 'acellerate'.
- Using it intransitively where an object is needed: 'They accelerated the plans' (correct), not 'They accelerated with the plans'.
- Confusing with 'escalate' (which is about intensity or level, not speed).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the BEST synonym for 'accelerate' in the sentence: 'The drug can accelerate the healing process.'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its most literal use is for physical speed, it is very commonly used metaphorically for processes, growth, change, and development (e.g., accelerate plans, accelerate learning).
The main noun forms are 'acceleration' (the act or process of accelerating) and 'accelerator' (a device that causes acceleration, like a pedal or a particle accelerator).
Yes, it can describe the speeding up of negative processes (e.g., 'The crisis accelerated the collapse of the regime', 'accelerating climate change'). The word itself is neutral; the context provides the positive or negative connotation.
They are often synonymous. 'Hasten' more strongly implies a deliberate effort to cause something to happen sooner, often with a sense of urgency or rushing. 'Accelerate' is more neutral and can describe an automatic or natural increase in speed or rate.