hasten

verb

has·​ten ˈhā-sᵊn How to pronounce hasten (audio)
hastened; hastening ˈhās-niŋ How to pronounce hasten (audio)
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 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
ˈhās-nər How to pronounce hasten (audio)
ˈhā-sᵊn-ər
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 Members of Congress feared the department’s move this week would only hasten that deficit by creating a $7 billion shortfall next year. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Others warn that the rise of text-to-video systems like Sora will hasten the elimination of jobs. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Such conditions can hasten an inmate’s death by chronically undermining a person’s physical and mental health. Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 As was far from unusual at the time, medical professionals did much to hasten the end that they were supposed to prevent. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 Warm spring and summer temperatures in the Pacific Northwest hastened that region’s melt-out, leaving the water supply short in fall and straining the region’s capacity to generate hydropower. Denise Chow, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2024 Assemblymember Phil Ting wrote the bill to hasten the state’s response to climate change. Hannah Poukish, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 Speaking With Chatbots When companies need to make a number of hires fairly quickly, chatbots and virtual assistants serve as a good tool to hasten the process. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Yet the injury also hastened his return to LAFC on a loan that includes an option to buy. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hasten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 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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