hasten

verb

has·​ten ˈhā-sᵊn 

hastened; hastening ˈhās-niŋ 

ˈhā-sᵊn-iŋ

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

ˈhās-nər 

ˈhā-sᵊn-ər

noun

Synonyms

• accelerate
• bundle
• fast-track
• hurry
• quicken
• rush
• speed (up)
• whisk

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

Insiders think a quick postseason exit for the Lakers could hasten the exit for the 39-year-old NBA icon out of Los Angeles, breaking up the LeBron-Anthony Davis duo as anchors of this franchise. —Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, museum officials are eager to hasten the process. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2024

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.)

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