hasty

adjective

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\ ˈhā-stē

hastier; hastiest

Definition of hasty

1a : done or made in a hurry hasty city-street snapshots— R. B. Heilman

b : fast and typically superficial made a hasty examination of the wound

c archaic : rapid in action or movement : speedy

2 : acting too quickly : overly eager or impatient realized he had been hasty in quitting his job

3 : exhibiting a lack of careful thought or consideration : precipitate, rash We don't want to make any hasty decisions.

4 : prone to anger : irritable a hasty temperament

Other Words from hasty Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About hasty

Choose the Right Synonym for hasty

fast, rapid, swift, fleet, quick, speedy, hasty, expeditious mean moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity. fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves fast horses and rapid to the movement itself. rapid current swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement. returned the ball with one swift stroke fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness. fleet runners quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time. a quick wit speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment speedy delivery of mail and may also suggest unusual velocity. hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness. a hasty inspection expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment. the expeditious handling of an order

Examples of hasty in a Sentence

I made a hasty sketch of the scene. Seeing the dog, the cat made a hasty retreat up a tree. We don't want to make any hasty decisions. He later realized that he was too hasty in his decision to quit.

Recent Examples on the Web Jim’s hasty decision to just cover Elric’s body with a tarp and leave him at the camp is going to come back to haunt him. — Kelly Mcclure, Vulture, 28 Dec. 2021 In the latter half of the decade, the government made some hasty and unpopular decisions. — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 23 Dec. 2021 Avoid acting on a whim or making hasty decisions to your financial detriment. — Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 And many political observers underestimated the impact of the hasty and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. — William A. Galston, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2021 The talks ended with America's hasty and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August and the Taliban's takeover of the country. — NBC News, 19 Oct. 2021 The hasty and unprecedented rescue of corals has turned into a nationwide, all-hands-on-deck response to prevent their extinction. — Kevin Spear, orlandosentinel.com, 2 Sep. 2021 Even though Michael and the others on Fire Twitter pull their information directly from official channels, the specifics can be wrong or misleading, like the first hasty but sometimes unreliable calls that come through during any disaster. — Boone Ashworth, Wired, 2 Dec. 2021 The bans have also angered political leaders in Africa who view them as hasty and unjustified — scapegoating countries that have been quick to come forward with information on a potentially dangerous new variant. — Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2021

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