speedboat

American

[speed-boht] / ˈspidˌboʊt /

noun

a motorboat designed for high speeds.

speedboat British

/ ˈspiːdˌbəʊt /

noun

a high-speed motorboat having either an inboard or outboard motor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of speedboat

1910–15; speed ( def. ) + boat ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At least one American citizen was shot dead and another injured by Cuban officials intercepting a speedboat off its coast on Wednesday, a US official has said.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Lane Kiffin, by contrast, bailed on his players and now resembles a renegade pirate at the helm of a flashy speedboat — fast, loud, brash and obsessively searching for buried treasure.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2025

"A tanker of this size cannot be turned around in a matter of days, like a speedboat turning 180 degrees in the other direction. It takes time."

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

The Maldives hotel will be located about 25 minutes by speedboat from the capital Malé and feature 80 ultraluxury beachside and over-water villas, the Trump Organization said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025

Another big bluefin whooshing along the surface like a speedboat, throwing a wake, chomping on tinker.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023