speedrun
/ˈspiːdrʌn/
CommonCompleting a video game as fast as possible, often using exploits, glitches, or optimized routes.
Used both seriously (competitive timing communities) and casually (speedrunning breakfast, speedrunning a conversation). Context tells you which.
Real-world examples5 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | bro is speedrunning this date. already asked her to move in | The person is moving through relationship milestones way too fast. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | just got a new pb on this level. sub 4 minutes finally | The person beat their previous best time on a game section. | |
| 03 | i speedran that whole semester. did all the readings the night before finals | The person compressed all their studying into one session. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 04 | this guy is literally speedrunning becoming a millionaire | The person is achieving financial milestones extremely quickly. | youtube, 2024 |
| 05 | watched a 3 hour speedrun documentary and now i want to quit my job and just do this | The person got pulled into the world of competitive speedrunning. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- Someone is completing a game as fast as possible for a timed run.
- Someone is doing any task unusually fast.
- Describing a chaotic or rushed version of a normal process.
- Joking that someone is racing through something (a meal, a movie, a relationship).
Do not use it when
- You just mean someone finished something quickly without any implication of skill or optimization.
Variations and related forms
Speedrun vs any%
speedrun
Speedrun is the general activity of completing a game fast.
VS
any-percent
Any% is a specific category of speedrun where the only goal is finishing the game, by any means.
Origin and context
Emerged from gaming communities in the early internet era, formalized through sites like Speed Demos Archive in the early 2000s and later popularized by Twitch streaming and events like Games Done Quick.
- First seen
- early-2000s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/speedrunUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0