hasty

American  

[hey-stee] / ˈheɪ sti /

adjective

hastier, hastiest

1. moving or acting with haste; speedy; quick; hurried.

   Synonyms:

   brisk, fleet, fast, rapid, swift

   Antonyms:

   slow

2. made or done with haste or speed.

   a hasty visit.

3. unduly quick; precipitate; rash.

   a hasty decision.

   Synonyms:

   headlong, reckless, foolhardy

   Antonyms:

   deliberate

4. brief; fleeting; passing; slight.

   a hasty glance.

5. impatient; impetuous; thoughtless; injudicious.

   hasty words.

6. easily irritated or angered; irascible.

   a hasty temper.

   Synonyms:

   irritable, excitable, fiery, touchy, testy

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hasty British  

/ ˈheɪstɪ /

adjective

1. rapid; swift; quick

2. excessively or rashly quick

3. short-tempered

4. showing irritation or anger

   hasty words

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Usage

What does hasty mean? Hasty most commonly means too fast and often careless. Synonyms include rash, rushed, or hurried. The noun haste most commonly refers to urgency, such as in completing a task. Haste can also be used as another word for speed or swiftness. But haste also commonly means urgency or speed that is careless or reckless. This is how the word is used in the expression haste makes waste, which means that rushing things leads to mistakes. This is usually how hasty is used. Being too hasty when doing something is thought to lead to mistakes. A hasty decision is one that is thought to have been made too quickly, often leading to negative consequences. A hasty generalization involves jumping to broad conclusions by judging something too quickly. Hasty can also mean brief or moving with or done with speed, as in a hasty visit. The adverb hastily can simply mean rapidly but is usually used to mean carelessly, rashly, or too quickly. Example: Don’t be too hasty when decorating the cake—take your time and do it properly.

Other Word Forms

• hastily adverb
• hastiness noun
• unhasty adjective

Etymology

Origin of hasty

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French hasti, hastif; see haste, -ive

Explanation

Hasty means speedy and brash. If you try to make a hasty exit after breaking up with someone, you’ll seem like a jerk. Hasty, meaning “speedy, quick,” first came onto the scene in the mid 14th century. Later, it found itself paired with pudding to form hasty pudding, a dessert that only takes a short amount of time to make. Note that hasty, unlike fast, has negative connotations. If someone accuses you of having completed an assignment in a hasty fashion, it means your work appears careless.

Example Sentences

The horrific allegations against both Gonzales and Swalwell comfortably met the bar for hasty resolution.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

In protest, he jumped on stage, wiggled his bottom at the cameras, made a strange wafting gesture with his hands and beat a hasty retreat, pursued by Jackson's security team.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

The court decision follows Panama’s hasty exit last year from China’s Belt and Road initiative, Xi’s signature international expansion effort that has featured thousands of projects.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

“Those who are unrealistic, hasty, reckless, and haphazard in their efforts, will be held strictly accountable,” he added.

From Barron's • Dec. 15, 2025

A sticky note was attached to the card with a hasty scribble on it that said, “He’s the right guy for the brownstone.”

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Related Words

• abrupt
• careless
• expeditious
• hurried
• ill-advised
• impulsive
• quick
• rapid
• reckless
• sudden
• swift
• urgent