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You're most likely familiar with Aesop's fable about the speedy hare and the plodding tortoise. The hare may have lost that race due to a tactical error (stopping to take a nap before reaching the finish line), but the long-eared mammal's overall reputation for swiftness remains intact. It's no surprise, then, that hare is used as a verb meaning "to move quickly." The noun hare (which refers, in its most specific zoological sense, to a member of the genus Lepus, whose young are usually able to hop a few minutes after birth) is a very old word. It first appeared as hara in a Latin-Old English glossary around the year 700. The verb was in use by the end of the 19th century, and people have been "haring off" and "haring about" ever since.
Synonyms
Verb
- barrel
- belt
- blast
- blaze
- blow
- bolt
- bomb [slang]
- bowl
- breeze
- bundle
- bustle
- buzz
- cannonball
- careen
- career
- chase
- course
- crack (on)
- dash
- drive
- fly
- hasten
- hie
- highball
- hotfoot (it)
- hump
- hurl
- hurry
- hurtle
- hustle
- jet
- jump
- motor
- nip
- pelt
- race
- ram
- rip
- rocket
- run
- rush
- rustle
- scoot
- scurry
- scuttle
- shoot
- speed
- step
- tear
- travel
- trot
- whirl
- whisk
- zip
- zoom
Examples of hare in a Sentence
Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
There are photos of brown hares and foxes, synonymous with the British countryside, but also fluorescent firework anemones and an Arctic walrus.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
Long before the German custom, however, hares carried religious significance.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
However, since ancient times, the hare has been said to represent rebirth, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
—Joyce Orlando, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024
For 15 years, Andrew Parkinson has been photographing the hares here.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
To this day, hares — and particularly snowshoe hares — are prevalent in Wyoming and neighboring areas.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 13 Feb. 2024
German Lutherans used an Easter hare for the Easter season, similar to Santa Claus' role during Christmas.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024
Xavier wants to be the hare, Iowa State wants to be the tortoise.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2023
Denise Davidson Writer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2021
Porter and Slotkin were both elected in 2018, and both hare strong fundraisers.
—Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2023
Crafting an opinion that nine individuals can all agree on is also likely to result in a judicial consistency that won’t shift with changing political tides, or hare off too far and fast in a particular direction.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2022
Karius looked stricken as the game ticked through its final minutes, as Cristiano Ronaldo hared around, desperately searching for the goal that would allow him his moment in the spotlight.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 27 May 2018
Sadio Mane intercepted a stray pass on the edge of his area, before playing a through ball between two defenders to set Mohamed Salah haring down the line.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 4 Apr. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hare.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun
Middle English, from Old English hara; akin to Old High German haso hare, Sanskrit śaśa, Old English hasu gray
Verb
derivative of hare entry 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
circa 1893, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing hare
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Dictionary Entries Near hare
Cite this Entry
“Hare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hare. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
hare
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on hare
Nglish: Translation of hare for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of hare for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hare
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