Godspeeds

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To express a fervent hope for someone's prosperous journey and future accomplishments; to convey blessings that encourage safety and success as a person embarks on a new endeavor; to send off individuals with warm regards aimed at ensuring positive outcomes in their pursuits
2. To offer kind hopes for someone's safe travel and success in their ventures
3. To send warm blessings that a person may travel safely and achieve good fortune

Etymology: "Godspeeds" is the plural of "godspeed," a noun meaning a wish for good fortune and safe passage, and the plural form is used for well-wishes given to several travelers or a group setting out. The singular "godspeed" is the older form, and it was once a phrase rather than a single word: "God speed you" was a prayer that God would make your journey go well. Over time the phrase fused into one noun, and the verb sense ("to godspeed someone") came later. The first element is "God," and the second is "speed," which in Middle English meant "success" or "prosperity" as well as swiftness. That older sense explains why "speed" in this word has nothing to do with velocity. The phrase took shape in Middle English, roughly the 1300s to 1400s, a period when many farewell expressions were built around the wish that God would bless or guide the person leaving.

Synonyms: farewells, goodbyes, partings, blessings, salutations