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 of hasten

• 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

For centuries, the monarchy promoted a version of the Parisian dialect, and the French Revolution—linking linguistic unity to republican virtue—only hastened the process of linguistic standardization. —Simon Akam, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025

This hastens the design process and allows engineers to trial different solutions to problems in a faster, cheaper way. —New Atlas, 29 Nov. 2025

Extreme storms, flooding and wind also hasten the breakdown of plastic, mobilize it and spread it more widely. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025

But this renaissance has yet to materialize and certain data suggests that the long-term decline may have hastened under his watch. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 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