hasten

verb

has·​ten ˈhā-sᵊn How to pronounce hasten (audio)
hastened; hastening ˈhā-sᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce hasten (audio)
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 doorA. J. Cronin
2
: to cause to happen more quickly : accelerate
His death was hastened by alcoholism.
hasten the coming of a new orderD. W. Brogan
hastener
ˈhā-sᵊn-ər How to pronounce hasten (audio)
ˈhās-nər
noun

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent, smaller elections suggested a new state law designed to hasten full unofficial results may delay publication of election night returns. Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024 Forbes contributor Teresa Ghilarducci notes analyses arguing Trump’s plans would hasten insolvency for Social Security, and could lead to a 33% cut in benefits. Richard McGahey, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 The case gained fresh attention following a recent slew of documentaries and a controversial true crime drama, all of which hastened developments in the case. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024 Because unlike films like The Green Mile, The Color Purple, Soul Food, the Best Man series, Kingdom Come, and more, which often hasten forgiveness to speed toward neat resolutions, Exhibiting Forgiveness doesn’t suppose the problems between Tarrell and La’Ron can be waved away by a magic wand. Robert Daniels, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hasten 

Word History

Etymology

see haste entry 1

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of hasten was in 1568

Cite this Entry

“Hasten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hasten. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hasten

verb
has·​ten ˈhā-sᵊn How to pronounce hasten (audio)
hastened; hastening ˈhās-niŋ How to pronounce hasten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to urge on
2
: to speed up : accelerate
hastened my steps
3
: to move or act quickly : hurry
hastener
ˈhās-nər How to pronounce hasten (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hasten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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