hasten

American  

[hey-suhn] / ˈheɪ sən /

verb (used without object)

1. to move or act with haste; proceed with haste; hurry.

   to hasten to a place.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to hasten; accelerate.

   to hasten someone from a room; to hasten the arrival of a happier time.

   Synonyms:

   precipitate, speed, quicken, expedite, press, urge

hasten British  

/ ˈheɪsən /

verb

1. (may take an infinitive) to hurry or cause to hurry; rush

2. (tr) to be anxious (to say something)

   I hasten to add that we are just good friends

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Usage

What does hasten mean? Hasten means to go faster or cause to go faster. Hasten often sounds a bit formal. More informal phrases like speed up and hurry up can be used to mean the same thing and are more commonly used. Hasten is often used in the context of saying that efforts to achieve some kind of goal need to be accelerated (done faster), as in We need to hasten our efforts to address climate change. To hasten something’s demise is to make it fail more quickly. The related noun haste most commonly refers to urgency, such as in completing a task. It can also be used as another word for speed or swiftness, as in We have to move with haste if we want to make it on time. The phrase make haste means to move quickly, hurry up, or rush. Example: This report highlights the fact that we need to hasten our efforts to eradicate this disease.

Other Word Forms

• hastener
  noun
• outhasten
  verb (used with object)
• overhasten
  verb
• unhastened
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hasten

First recorded in 1565–75; haste + -en ¹

Explanation

The verb hasten means to move at a high speed. If you hasten to your room, no one will know that you came in late. Hasten comes from the word haste, which means "excessive speed or urgency." The words hurry and hasten are synonyms. Hasten can also mean "to make happen quickly," like when you open a window in the kitchen when you are cooking to hasten the room's cooling down. Hasten also means "to be quick," like when you hasten to tell everyone that the rumor going around about you isn't true.

Example Sentences

"Hasten to say, I wouldn't wish what I've had to experience on my worst enemy," she added.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

St. Augustine scored on its opening possession, a 24-yard touchdown catch by Isaiah Hasten.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2023

Hasten, too, said he “was just scared of the retaliation,” adding that his wife also works at the prison.

From Washington Times • Oct. 30, 2022

By the end of last year, the value of Hasten Carter’s cryptocurrency holdings had climbed to about $250,000.

From Washington Post • Jan. 25, 2022

And he sent his younger brother,5 and said to him: Hasten and bring me seed-corn from the village.

From The Egypt of the Hebrews and Herodotos by Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)

Related Words

• accelerate
• expedite
• precipitate
• quicken
• step up
• urge