hasten

[hey-suhn]

verb (used without object)

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

   to hasten to a place.

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hasten¹

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

Example Sentences

Unclear though is whether China will grant licenses to U.S. defense companies and if the U.S. will hasten licenses filed by U.S. companies selling chips to China that are subject to export controls.

Read more on Barron's

The U.S. can hasten that end by giving Ukraine the ability to bring the war deep inside Russia.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s a natural time to think about estate planning: You’re in your 70s, and chronic illness will also hasten such discussions.

Read more on MarketWatch

Over time, interference with this fluid circulation could hasten cognitive decline.

Read more on Science Daily

Newson on Friday also signed more than two dozen bills related to the January fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, including legislation focused on boosting tenant protections and hastening rebuilding.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.