hasten

play

verb has·ten \ ˈhā-sᵊn \

Definition of hasten

hastened; hastening play \ˈhās-niŋ, 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 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

play \ˈhās-nər, ˈhā-sᵊn-ər\ noun

See hasten defined for English-language learners

See hasten defined for kids

Examples of hasten in a Sentence

His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.
hasten the activation of yeast with heat

Recent Examples of hasten from the Web

Most were elderly and ailing, their deaths hastened by the catastrophe.

— andrew wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "There's hope for Houston in the story of Louisville's Great Flood of 1937," 28 Aug. 2017
Bitcoin last week soared past $4,000 for the first time on growing optimism that faster transaction times will hasten its spread.

— archana chaudhary, Bloomberg.com, "With Attacks Soaring, India Races to Regulate Cryptocurrencies," 21 Aug. 2017
Though everyone at the panel hastened to emphasize their clear differences—

— emma dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story: Everything We Know So Far," 15 Aug. 2017
Ending the CSR subsidies, paid monthly to insurers, is one way that Trump could hasten Obamacare's demise without legislation, by prompting more companies to raise premiums in the individual market or stop offering coverage.

— christopher harress, AL.com, "Macon County man dies after vehicle hits tree off I-65," 30 July 2017
The White House can take a number of behind-the-scenes steps to sabotage the exchanges and hasten their undoing.

— shefali luthra, Kaiser Health News, "5 Ways White House Can Use Its Muscle To Undercut Obamacare," 28 July 2017
Lisanti, whose district includes Havre de Grace, was a vocal opponent in Annapolis last year when legislation was filed to hasten the process of closing a community hospital and establishing a free-standing medical facility.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Upper Chesapeake Health chief addresses concerns about changes in Havre de Grace," 21 July 2017
Believe it or not, morphine relieves it without hastening death.

— roy wenzl, star-telegram, "Hospice care is about living, not dying, chaplain says," 14 July 2017
In addition to causing respiratory problems and allergies, fungi can cause infections and hasten the deterioration of materials.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "In NASA simulation, people tote hardy, allergy-inducing molds to Mars," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hasten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hasten

see ¹haste

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1568

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hasten Synonyms

Synonyms

accelerate, bundle, fast-track, hurry, quicken, rush, speed (up), whisk

Antonyms

brake, decelerate, retard, slow (down)

Related Words

drive, goad, prod, propel, push, race, spur, stir, urge; aid, dispatch, ease, encourage, expedite, facilitate

Near Antonyms

delay, encumber, fetter, hamper, hinder, hobble, hold back, hold up, impede, interfere (with), manacle, rein (in), restrain, shackle, tie up, trammel; arrest, check, stall, stay, still, stop

HASTEN Defined for English Language Learners

hasten

play

verb

Definition of hasten for English Language Learners

: to cause (something) to happen more quickly
: to move or act quickly

HASTEN Defined for Kids

hasten

play

verb has·ten \ ˈhā-sᵊn \

Definition of hasten for Students

hastened; hastening

:to move or cause to move or act fast :hurry

I hastened to the exit.

Learn More about hasten

See words that rhyme with hasten Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hasten Spanish Central: Translation of hasten Nglish: Translation of hasten for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hasten for Arabic speakers

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hasten

Definition of hasten

hastener

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Examples of hasten in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of hasten

hasten Synonyms

Synonyms

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HASTEN Defined for English Language Learners

hasten

Definition of hasten for English Language Learners

HASTEN Defined for Kids

hasten

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