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Definition of hastinessnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective hasty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hasty are expeditious, fast, fleet, quick, rapid, speedy, and swift. While all these words mean "moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity," hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

When is expeditious a more appropriate choice than hasty?

The words expeditious and hasty can be used in similar contexts, but expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

How are the words fast and rapid related as synonyms of hasty?

Both fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves.

fast horses

When could fleet be used to replace hasty?

In some situations, the words fleet and hasty are roughly equivalent. However, fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

When would quick be a good substitute for hasty?

Although the words quick and hasty have much in common, quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

When can rapid be used instead of hasty?

The synonyms rapid and hasty are sometimes interchangeable, but rapid applies to the movement itself, rather than to the thing that moves.

rapid current

When is it sensible to use speedy instead of hasty?

While in some cases nearly identical to hasty, speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment and may also suggest unusual velocity.

speedy delivery of mail

Where would swift be a reasonable alternative to hasty?

While the synonyms swift and hasty are close in meaning, swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

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 hastiness
Noun
The hastiness helps to explain why the administration’s defenses of the order varied so exotically. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026 Besides, just as the cruelty is the point of everything this administration does so, too, is the hastiness. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Retail investors flooded into private credit in recent years only to stage a hasty retreat in early 2026. — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 Over the next few months, Caroline, who wanted to get into the house quickly, and Raymond made hasty decisions to speed up the move-in process. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hastiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hastiness
Noun
  • Nick Richards showed me a great deal of hustle and toughness and athleticism in the preseason.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But off camera, the actress has traded Hollywood's hustle for a quieter life raising her two daughters on a Tennessee farm in a town of just 800 people — where horses and buggies are still a familiar sight.
    — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • This time may truly be different, and not acting with haste could prove prescient.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Plus, data centers aren’t acting with haste or employing new innovations.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • North Crowley just toyed with the running game with 20 rushes for 114 yards, but the Panthers were dominant through the air.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
  • And after the rush of mid-decade congressional redistricting before the 2026 elections, some legislatures might turn toward redistricting their own chambers in the next election cycle.
    — Carmen Russell-Sluchansky, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hastiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hastiness. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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