Godspeed
Part of speech: intj
noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: Univerbation of God speed, elliptical for God speed you, where speed carries the archaic sense “help, further, cause to prosper”. Compare God bless, God damn.
Inflected forms:
form: God-speed
pos: intj
tags: alternative
form: God speed
pos: intj
tags: alternative
form: godspeed
pos: intj
tags: alternative
form: good speed
pos: intj
tags: alternative
form: Godspeeds
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: God-speed
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: God speed
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: godspeed
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: good speed
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Used, especially at a parting, to express the wish that the outcome of a person's actions be positive for them; typically said to someone who is about to start a journey or a daring endeavour.
pos: intj
tags: literary
examples: 3 [Citizen]. Neighbours, God ſpeed. / 1 [Citizen]. Giue you good morrovv ſir.
Duke. God ſpeed father. / 1. Mad[man]. God ſpeed the Plough, thou ſhalt not ſpeed me.
At the threshold of death, how dare I give you permission to go to England, to cross the seas? But I will not stand in your way. It is your mother's permission which really matters. If she permit you, then godspeed! Tell her I will not interfere. You will go with my blessings.
So all of America watched at 9:47 a.m. on Feb. 20, 1962, as [John] Glenn took off from Cape Canaveral. Scott Carpenter, backup astronaut for the mission, famously said: "Godspeed, John Glenn."
So, class of 2007, join in. And godspeed.
Thanks, Gordie. May you live long and stay well, too. Godspeed.
gloss: The wishing of someone a smooth journey, or success, especially at a parting; (countable) a statement expressing this.
pos: noun
tags: literary
uncountable
examples: Yff there come eny vnto you and brynge not this learnynge⸝ hym receave not to houſſe: nether bid hym god ſpede. For he that biddeth hym God ſpede⸝ is part taker off his evyll dedes.
Then Chriſtian took his leave of his Friend, and he again bid him God ſpeed.
Ber[inthia]. Speed her vvell. / VVor[thy]. Ay, but there muſt be more than a God ſpeed, or your Charity vvon't be vvorth a farthing.
He never danced himself, and there he sat, poking his head in my face, and impressing all the beholders with the idea that he was a confirmed, acknowledged lover; my aunt looking complacently on, all the time, and wishing him God-speed.
[I]n the morning, as Rowland at the garden gate was giving his hostess Godspeed on her way to church, he came striding along the grassy margin of the road and out-whistling the music of the church bells.
Mr. C[harles] C[rozat] Converse's new pronoun [thon] of the singular number and common gender has met with a warm welcome from philologists and the press. […] The new word has received a number of godspeeds, some of which we quote.
Eight years before he had seen his friend off at the North Wall and wished him godspeed.
gloss: Chiefly in in the Godspeed of: the most important part of something, or point at which something happens; also, the last minute or last moment.
pos: noun
tags: archaic
countable
figuratively
literary
uncountable
examples: But a Devil came in juſt in the God-ſpeed, and told them; Gentlemen Philoſophers, (ſays he) if you vvould knovv the VVretched'ſt, and moſt contemptible thing in the VVorld; It is an Alchymiſt: […]
But juſt in the Godſpeed, the Plot vvas Diſcover'd.
I udn't mind seeing her come in when I was in the godspeed of washday, and that's saying something.
gloss: In back of Godspeed: a distant, remote, or unknown place.
pos: noun
tags: countable
figuratively
literary
uncountable
examples: If I don't leave you at the back of God-speed before long, I'll give you the mare and the horse too.
mrs george. I have earned the right to speak. I have dared: I have gone through: I have not fallen withered into the fire: I have come at last out beyond, to the back of Godspeed. / the bishop. And what do you see there, at the back of Godspeed?
Translations: