speed demon
2
6.9
- noun
- /spiːd ˈdiːmən/
- Informal
:
demonio de la velocidad
- My brother is a real speed demon; he always tries to beat his last record on the racetrack.
At some level, these dangerous drivers think that they are somehow specially anointed speed demons.
- At some level, these dangerous drivers think that they are somehow specially anointed speed demons.
Examples
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The psycho speed demon from the satanic auto shop of death.
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The psycho speed demon from the satanic auto-shop of death?
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We had a speed demon in the passenger seat.
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Who do you think you are, the psycho speed demon?
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He's a speed demon by trade with good hands.
Blog text (33) -
Anyway, I'm well past my impatient speed-demon phase.
Blog text (12) -
These teenagers converted otherwise tame vehicles into supercharged speed demons with more horsepower and glitz than most parents considered appropriate.
Academic text (1996) -
The police caught a speed demon driving over 100 miles per hour on the highway.
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During the evening rush, he witnessed a speed demon weaving through traffic without a care.
Synonyms
16
4.1
A person, animal, or vehicle that moves very fast
10
3.0
A person who drives faster than the speed limit
A person who drives very fast, often in cars
Antonyms
How Reckless
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines the clear noun 'speed' with a metaphorical use of 'demon' (an intense or obsessive person) to denote someone characterized by excessive speed, so the overall meaning is largely derivable from the parts. However, this relies on the learner recognising the figurative extension of 'demon' beyond a supernatural being; a B1 learner who only knows the literal sense may not immediately infer the habitual, dangerous-driving nuance.
Etymology
Speed demon probably comes from a simple picture: a wild demon moving with great speed, like a tiny creature racing down a road. People used 'demon' for someone wild or extreme, so today speed demon means someone who 'drives very fast'.