haste

Definition of hastenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun haste contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of haste are dispatch, expedition, hurry, and speed. While all these words mean "quickness in movement or action," haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.

marry in haste

How are the words expedition and dispatch related as synonyms of haste?

Expedition and dispatch both imply speed and efficiency in handling affairs but expedition stresses ease or efficiency of performance and dispatch stresses promptness in concluding matters.

the case came to trial with expedition
paid bills with dispatch

When could hurry be used to replace haste?

The words hurry and haste are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion.

in the hurry of departure she forgot her toothbrush

When can speed be used instead of haste?

The words speed and haste can be used in similar contexts, but speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action.

exercises to increase your reading speed

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of haste So is there a sweet spot, somewhere between voting in haste and having your ballot go to waste? Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026 There have been times when a scarcity of alternatives has led England managers to fast-track players to the senior squad with indecent haste. Oliver Kay, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026 The pro game has a way of filtering out two-way players with haste. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026 The activity itself matters less than the permission to resist haste. Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for haste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haste
Noun
  • No, our purpose is to supplement, extend and update, so our politics may match the scale and speed of contemporary information and commerce, migration and ecology.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • Mitchell has a mix of speed and power.
    Tony Jones, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • The new aspirational image isn’t endless hustle, chaos or overperformance.
    Aisha Alves, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2026
  • The psychic cost of a labor market that demands constant hustle while delivering, for many, almost nothing in return.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Pitching for the third time in four days, Shelton was interested to see how Morris’ velocity looked.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 21 May 2026
  • Detmers said no mechanical adjustments were needed to get back on track with scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, with Suzuki noting there might have been a slight dip in velocity that was short-lived.
    Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • Their hand is also forced by climate change, war and the accelerating rush for timber and minerals.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • That said, only a fraction of those seats were taken - just 2,159 used the shuttles for the morning rush, according to the MTA.
    Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • The dogs still living around the exclusion zone are likely descendants of pets left behind after residents surrounding the Chernobyl power plant fled the region in a hurry, Mousseau said.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 20 May 2026
  • Messi left the field in a hurry after those games, heading straight to the tunnel, and most other players followed suit.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • Besides, just as the cruelty is the point of everything this administration does so, too, is the hastiness.
    Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Traditionally, farmers have relied on rainy season precipitation to water their crops.
    Diaa Hadid, NPR, 16 May 2026
  • That water year actually saw below-average rain in the region, and either average or above-average precipitation in Northern California.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Haste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haste. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

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