hasten

1 of 2

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

hastener

2 of 2

noun

has·​ten·​er -s(ᵊ)nə(r) 

plural -s

: one that hastens

Synonyms of hasten

Verb

• accelerate
• rush
• push

Examples of hasten in a Sentence

Verb

His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.

hasten the activation of yeast with heat

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Two appeals courts agreed to hasten their review of lower court decisions. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 18 July 2026

Most guidelines also recommend careful consideration for men who have had prostate cancer or are at risk of the disease, given lingering questions about whether hormone therapy hastens tumor growth. — Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 16 July 2026

The entire film then leaked online in April, which no doubt factored into the decision to hasten its release. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 7 July 2026

There are plenty of studies suggesting that AI is hastening our collective cognitive decline. — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

see haste entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

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