spedup

Sped up is a term formed from the verb phrase “speed up” and used as both a past participle and an adjective. It describes something that has been accelerated or made to run faster, or a process whose duration has been shortened. When used attributively to modify a noun, it is often written with a hyphen (sped-up video, sped-up process).

In media and entertainment, sped-up footage or playback increases the rate at which time appears to pass. This is common in time-lapse sequences, fast-forward narration, and speed ramping in video editing, where ordinary events are condensed to reveal trends or to fit a narrative cadence. In music and cinema, the concept is related to tempo changes and accelerando, though “sped up” is a general descriptive term rather than a specific technical instruction.

In science, technology, and everyday use, the phrase describes any instance of acceleration: simulations, data processing, manufacturing workflows, or human activities that have been rewritten to run more quickly. Sped-up representations help researchers and engineers study long-term phenomena, diagnose performance bottlenecks, or improve responsiveness.

Orthographically, sped up is typically written as two words when used as a verb phrase (the system sped up) and as a hyphenated adjective when modifying a noun (a sped-up system). It contrasts with slow motion, which intentionally reduces the rate of change for clarity or artistic effect.

See also: speed, speed up, acceleration, time-lapse, time compression, optimization, playback speed.