haste

1 of 2

noun

ˈhāst 

1

: rapidity of motion : swiftness

out of breath from haste

—Jane Austen

We must make haste.

2

: rash or headlong action : precipitateness

She sent the letter in haste and later regretted it.

the beauty of speed uncontaminated by haste

—Harper's

3

: undue eagerness to act

In their haste to leave for the airport, they forgot their passports.

haste

2 of 2

verb

hasted; hasting

transitive verb

archaic : to urge on : hasten

with our fair entreaties haste them on

—William Shakespeare

haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee jest and youthful jollity

—John Milton

intransitive verb

: to move or act swiftly

these minutes even now hasting into eternity

—Winston Churchill

Synonyms

Noun

• speed
• velocity
• hurry

Choose the Right Synonym for haste

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 haste in a Sentence

Noun

The application had been approved with undue haste.

made haste to get there on time

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The thieves dropped two pieces in their haste to get away. —News Desk, Artforum, 20 Oct. 2025

Though meetings between military brass and civilian leaders are nothing new, this gathering had fueled intense speculation about its purpose given the haste with which it was called and the mystery surrounding it. —Konstantin Toropin, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025

Verb

Should this pocket-size French import be legal to park in your driveway, make all haste to bid. —Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 17 Nov. 2022

But haste and carelessness in crafting the aid created a wellspring for fraud and waste - a mess that hundreds of federal investigators are still trying to clean up. —Lisa Rein and Yeganeh Torbati, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English hǣst violence

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing haste

• haste makes waste
• make haste

Rhymes for haste

• based
• baste
• braced
• cased
• chased
• chaste
• faced
• graced
• laced
• mayst
• paced
• paste

Kids Definition

haste

1 of 2 noun

ˈhāst 

1

: rapidity of motion or action

2

: reckless action

3

: eagerness to act that is not proper or suitable

haste

2 of 2 verb

hasted; hasting

: hasten