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 of hasten

• 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

Observers, including Skubal’s high-profile agent Scott Boras, have suggested that the new surgery could hasten a return to the mound exponentially. —Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

But many exiles believe the revolution founded by Fidel and Raul Castro is crumbling and additional pressure is all that’s needed to hasten a now inevitable collapse. —Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 20 May 2026

Despite a tough operating environment, Home Depot continued to make moves that should hasten the recovery once things improve. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 19 May 2026

But Taijul's breakthrough, dismissing Sajid for 28, ended a 54-run partnership, marked his 18th five-wicket haul in test matches and hastened the result. —ABC News, 19 May 2026

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
• disseisin
• freemason
• stonemason
• subbasin
• unfasten
• washbasin

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