What does accelerating mean?
Accelerating is the present participle of the verb accelerate, meaning to increase in speed or to make something happen sooner. It can describe physical motion, as when a car speeds up, or abstract processes, as when technological change or economic growth gathers pace. Used attributively — an accelerating rate of inflation, an accelerating decline — it functions as an adjective signalling that something is not merely fast but getting faster over time. The word derives from the Latin celer, meaning swift, which also gives us celerity. It is standard in both British and American English and appears frequently in journalism, science, and business writing, where it conveys momentum and urgency without exaggeration. Its opposite is decelerating, and it should not be confused with exhilarating, which describes excitement rather than speed.
Present participle of accelerate: to begin to move or happen more quickly, or to cause this.
"She pressed the throttle and felt the boat accelerating across the bay."
Can be used transitively (accelerating a project) or intransitively (the car was accelerating).
Describing a rate, trend, or process that is steadily increasing in speed or intensity.
"An accelerating demand for housing pushed prices sharply higher."
The pedal you press in a car is literally named after the Latin word for swift — celer — making every drive a small tribute to ancient Rome.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accelerating
Accelerating comes from the Latin verb accelerare, formed from ad- (toward) plus celer (swift), meaning to hasten. The verb entered English in the early 16th century via post-classical Latin, and its participle has been used continuously since. It shares its root with celerity, meaning swiftness of movement, and with the later coinage decelerate, its direct opposite.
Related word forms
How accelerating is actually used
Neutral register, common in both everyday speech and formal writing, especially in scientific, economic, and technical contexts. As an adjective before a noun (an accelerating trend), it carries no particular connotation, though in discussions of climate, technology, or social change it often implies urgency.
Easily confused with accelerating
"Exhilarating" means thrilling or invigorating, while "accelerating" means increasing in speed — the two share a similar sound and ending but entirely different meanings.