English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Book with Answers and Enhanced eBook Vocabulary Reference and Practice 3rd Edition

scamper, scurry, scuttle suggest small rapid steps, often used to describe the way a small 
animal runs: As we went into the dark shed, we saw mice 
scampering away and spiders scurrying 
into corners. Cockroaches 
scuttled into a crack in the floor.
These verbs emphasise the fact that speed is increasing: 
speed up, accelerate. Accelerate is used 
only about transport, whereas 
speed up can also refer to movement on foot. Both verbs can be used 
figuratively: We’d better 
speed up if we’re going to get there on time. The growth of the company has 
accelerated since it started exporting.
Going up or down fast
These verbs suggest a downward movement, as well as speed: 
plunge, plummet: He put on a 
lifejacket and 
plunged into the icy water. Notice that they are mainly used metaphorically: When 
export sales began to decline, our hopes of business success 
plummeted. After the death of his 
father, he was 
plunged into despair.
These verbs suggest a fast upward movement: 
rocket, soar. Notice that they are mainly used 
metaphorically and have strong associations with financial matters such as prices and share values: 
When our export sales 
rocketed, our hopes soared.
The primary association of 
soar is with birds, and when it is used about people’s feelings it 
provides associations of happiness and being carefree: My heart 
soared when I heard that he 
was coming home.
The opposite of 
soar and rocket in a financial context would be slump or tumble. Both suggest a 
rapid downward movement: Share prices 
slumped (or plummeted) on the stock market yesterday, 
with telecommunications companies