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

When a cholera epidemic broke out there, killing some fifty thousand people, the international relief community hastened to provide the Hutu refugees with food, shelter, and medical care. —Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 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

Representatives for Thiel, a co-founder of surveillance software giant Palantir and a guy who reportedly believes that strictly regulating AI tech will hasten the arrival of the Antichrist, did not respond to a request for comment. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025

As the United States’ gross national debt recently surged past the $38 trillion mark, commentators hastened to ring alarm bells. —Joe Dioguardi, Fortune, 18 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