hasten

verb

has·​ten ˈhā-sᵊn 

hastened; hastening ˈhā-sᵊn-iŋ 

ˈhās-niŋ

intransitive verb

: to move or act quickly

She hastened up the stairs.

transitive verb

1

: to encourage to move or act quickly : to urge on

hastened her to the door

—A. J. Cronin

2

: to cause to happen more quickly : accelerate

His death was hastened by alcoholism.

hasten the coming of a new order

—D. W. Brogan

hastener

ˈhā-sᵊn-ər 

ˈhās-nər

noun

Synonyms

• accelerate
• rush
• push

Examples of hasten in a Sentence

His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.

hasten the activation of yeast with heat

Recent Examples on the Web

Although this amount only represents 3.9% of the total income to the trust fund, reducing this income stream will hasten the depletion of the trust fund from 2033 to 2032. —Thomas Hager, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025

Additionally, this portion of the bill actually hastens the program’s insolvency, a concern for many Americans, because the taxes seniors pay on the benefits go back into the Social Security and Medicare trust funds for future generations. —Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 7 July 2025

But McKayla hastens to correct the generic impression. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025

An onboard charger upgraded from 7 to 11 kW will hasten charging at the 240v connections most EV owners use at home. —Mark Phelan, USA Today, 2 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see haste entry 1

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing hasten

• hasten to add/say/explain (etc.)

Rhymes for hasten

• basin
• caisson
• chasten
• jason
• capsaicin
• freemason
• stonemason
• subbasin
• washbasin
• indomethacin

Kids Definition

hasten

verb

has·​ten ˈhā-sᵊn 

hastened; hastening ˈhās-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to urge on

2

: to speed up : accelerate

hastened my steps

3

: to move or act quickly : hurry

hastener

ˈhās-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun