ESL Podcast 535 - Describing Speed and Pace

slowpoke - a person who is very slow; a person who does not move quickly

Stop being such a slowpoke! The sooner you finish cleaning your room, the sooner we can go do something fun.

to hurry up - to do something more quickly; to rush; to increase one's speed

If the taxi driver doesn't hurry up, we're going to arrive at the airport too late to catch our flight.

to get a move on - to hurry; to begin moving more quickly

We have a lot of work to do today, so let's get a move on!

breakneck - very quick; a speed so fast that it's dangerous

The car came around the corner at breakneck speed and almost hit an old lady who was crossing the street.

to trudge - to walk very slowly while dragging one's feet; to walk slowly because it is very difficult or because one does not really want to go somewhere

The kids sadly trudge to school every morning, but happily run home every afternoon.

ruins - what is left of an old building or group of buildings with a lot of historical interest

Have you ever visited the Mayan ruins in Mexico?

worth (one's) while - worth the effort; justifying the work that was needed to get or do something that is very nice or pleasant

You might not enjoy studying much now, but it will all be worth your while when you get a good job in a few years.

to pick up the pace - to increase one's speed; to move more quickly; to hurry

I can't believe it took you five minutes to cut one carrot! Pick up the pace, or we won't be able to eat until midnight!

to dawdle - to move very slowly; to take a long time to go somewhere or to do something

Little kids often dawdle while getting ready for bed, brushing their teeth as slowly as possible so that they can stay awake a little bit longer.

at a snail's pace - very slowly

Kumi reads books at a snail's pace, usually reading just one page each day.

to keel over - to fall over or fall down, possibly losing consciousness, usually because one is very tired or ill

If we keep running like this, I'm going to keel over and die of a heart attack.

to sprint - to run very quickly over a short distance

Fritz isn't a very good long-distance runner, but he is very good at sprinting.

blinding - very impressive; making one feel awed or amazed

Jean-Philippe's teacher says that he has blinding musical talent.

to feel sorry for (someone) - to have sympathy or empathy for someone; to feel bad because someone else is having a difficult or painful experience

Did you hear that Kazu lost her job? I feel so sorry for her.

physically challenged - with a physical disability; with a body that does not work normally because there is some injury or a genetic problem

Norma Jean lost her arm in a car accident as a child, but even though she's physically challenged, she has learned how to do almost everything other people can do.

mentally challenged - with a mental problem or a mental illness; with a medical condition that affects how one thinks, making it more difficult for a person to learn and/or communicate

Why did you do such a stupid thing? Are you mentally challenged?