hurry

1 of 2

verb

hur·​ry ˈhər-ē 

ˈhə-rē

hurried; hurrying

transitive verb

1

a

: to carry or cause to go with haste

hurry them to the hospital

b

: to impel to rash or precipitate action

that hard-to-be-governed passion of youth hurried me frequently into intrigues with low women

—Benjamin Franklin

2

a

: to impel to greater speed : prod

used spurs to hurry the horse

b

: expedite

asked them to hurry dinner

c

: to perform with undue haste

hurry a minuet

intransitive verb

: to move or act with haste

please hurry up

hurrier noun

hurry

2 of 2

noun

1

: disturbed or disorderly activity : commotion

the incessant hurry and trivial activity of daily life … seem to prevent, or at least discourage, quiet and intense thinking

—C. W. Eliot

2

a

: agitated and often bustling or disorderly haste

b

: a state of eagerness or urgency : rush

was in a hurry to get home

Phrases

in a hurry

: without delay : as rapidly as possible

the police got there in a hurry

Synonyms

Verb

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

Noun

• haste
• hastiness
• hustle
• precipitation
• precipitousness
• rush

Choose the Right Synonym for hurry

haste, hurry, speed, expedition, dispatch mean quickness in movement or action.

haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.

marry in haste

hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion.

in the hurry of departure she forgot her toothbrush

speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action.

exercises to increase your reading speed

expedition and dispatch both imply speed and efficiency in handling affairs but expedition stresses ease or efficiency of performance and dispatch stresses promptness in concluding matters.

the case came to trial with expedition

paid bills with dispatch

Examples of hurry in a Sentence

Verb

Take your time. There's no need to hurry.

She hurried off to her class.

We hurried through the lesson so that we could finish early.

The teacher hurried us through the lesson.

They hurried the children off to bed.

The quarterback was forced to hurry his throw.

Noun

In her hurry to leave she forgot her briefcase.

after all her hurry to get her report done on time, Elizabeth learned that it wasn't due till the following week

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The agents hurried to the store and saw a man walk out with more than a dozen AK-47 style rifles, load them into a car, and drive off. —Ieva Jusionyte, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024

If your own Jackson reminiscences aren’t enough, here are five more reasons to hurry to the Buell for a jukebox musical crafted with an attention to detail and pleasure befitting its subject’s stickler tendencies. —Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2024

Clear Creek County Sheriff's deputies, Idaho Springs and Georgetown police officers, and a bystander hurried into the river in an attempt to rescue the youth. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

Others in the crowd gesture at him to hurry, the hellish sky behind them orange-red. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

A little further along the corridor, hurrying to pay obeisance, was Rodrygo, another of Pérez’s employees. —Rory Smith, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024

Videos showed people hurrying out of the ferry’s cabin while putting on life vests, as thick black smoke swept across the ferry. —TIME, 4 Apr. 2024

On Sunday afternoon, Miami Gardens officers hurried to the 3800 block Northwest 177th Street after hearing a violent dispute on an open phone line. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024

So hurry and snag one for yourself while the price is as low as $39. —Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 13 Feb. 2024

Noun

The other thing that qualified me were my years as a New York City public school teacher and a touring poet, experiences that trained me to be compelling and relevant in a hurry. —Diana Goetsch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan and nose tackle Herbert Gums were both credited with one quarterback hurry. —Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2024

The forthcoming album is taking shape in something of a hurry, after 20 years of not being in a rush. —Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024

And for those in a hurry, there's also a drive-thru experience. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024

Keep reading for some of the best Skechers deals at Walmart, but hurry, sizes are selling out quickly. —Lauren Fischer, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024

However, hurry because patterns are selling out fast. —Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024

Beyond the defensive woes, Dickinson cooled off in a hurry, scoring 13 points in the first half but only finishing with 15 on 6-for-15 shooting. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024

This fast-drying option is great for anyone leading a busy, on-the-go lifestyle and wants (or needs) their hands to look polished in a hurry. —Kate Watson, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

perhaps from Middle English horyen

First Known Use

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hurry

• hurry it up
• hurry-scurry
• hurry-skurry
• hurry-up
• hurry up and wait
• in a hurry
• in no hurry
• not in any/a hurry

Kids Definition

hurry

1 of 2 verb

hur·​ry ˈhər-ē 

ˈhə-rē

hurried; hurrying

1

a

: to carry or cause to go with haste

hurry the child to the hospital

b

: to move or act with haste

had to hurry to arrive in time

2

a

: to urge on to greater speed : prod

b

: to hasten the doing of

hurry a repair job

hurrier noun

hurry

2 of 2 noun

plural hurries

1

: great speed

especially : unnecessary haste

2

: a state of eagerness or urgency : rush