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

• 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

The reforms hastened the break with traditional systems. —Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025

African nations are hastening to restrict the export of key metals, hoping to generate domestic jobs and revenue. —Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025

Spotify has also hastened the demise of the album, as well as a world where the final product is used to promote the tour, rather than vice versa, alongside other pieces of merchandise like a T-shirt or poster. —Roy Trakin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025

But while Intel’s strategic missteps have been pored over, less analysis has been done on the changes in corporate culture that accompanied and arguably hastened Intel’s decline. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025

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
• freemason
• stonemason
• subbasin
• washbasin
• indomethacin

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