hurry

American  

[hur-ee, huhr-ee] / ˈhɜr i, ˈhʌr i /

verb (used without object)

hurried, hurrying

1. to move, proceed, or act with haste (often followed byup ).

   Hurry, or we'll be late. Hurry up, it's starting to rain.

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verb (used with object)

hurried, hurrying

1. to drive, carry, or cause to move or perform with speed.

   Synonyms:

   hasten

2. to hasten; urge forward (often followed byup ).

   Synonyms:

   hustle, expedite, quicken, accelerate

   Antonyms:

   slow, delay

3. to impel or perform with undue haste.

   to hurry someone into a decision.

noun

plural

hurries

1. a state of urgency or eagerness.

   to be in a hurry to meet a train.

2. hurried movement or action; haste.

   Synonyms:

   ado, bustle, quickness, speed, dispatch, expedition, celerity

   Antonyms:

   deliberation

hurry British  

/ ˈhʌrɪ /

verb

1. to hasten (to do something); rush

2. to speed up the completion, progress, etc, of

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noun

1. haste

2. urgency or eagerness

3. informal

   1. easily

      you won't beat him in a hurry

   2. willingly

      we won't go there again in a hurry

Related Words

See rush ¹.

Other Word Forms

• hurrying noun
• hurryingly adverb
• overhurry verb
• unhurrying adjective
• unhurryingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of hurry

First recorded in 1580–90; expressive word of uncertain origin, compare Middle English horyed (attested once) “rushed, impelled,” Middle High German hurren “to move quickly”

Example Sentences

The first two times, she and dozens of other passengers were lining up by the gate when they were told by staff to hurry to a nearby stairwell.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

On Monday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled he isn’t in a hurry to adjust policy, given uncertainty about how the war will affect the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

General Carsten Breuer is a man in a hurry.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

“All my life I’ve been in a hurry to get to my future,” he wrote in his 2013 memoir, “American Son.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

“They should hurry up,” said Anat, glancing anxiously at the screen in front of them and then out into the hall.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• dash
• hasten
• hustle
• jog
• rush
• scoot
• scurry
• whirl
• whisk
• zip