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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 hasty The soldiers’ demands also suggest that Mr. Putin’s hasty annexation of four Ukrainian regions early in the war may have limited his current options in negotiations because a significant part of the population would view anything less as a defeat. Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 17 May 2025 But the archaeologist was hasty, careless and imprecise, officials said, and after an excavator worked through the site, its location was lost to time — until now. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025 In both cases, subsequent lawsuits accused the police of shoddy investigations and hasty decision-making in the service of creating good TV. Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, 29 Mar. 2025 Resolving these tensions requires genuine leadership – not hasty amendments. Philip Salter, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hasty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hasty
Adjective
  • My Dien is a hurried cluster that has grown up ad hoc, with buildings of varying sizes rising like reeds from a fertile swamp.
    Damien Cave, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
  • This comes as the Trump administration has faced growing criticisms for its hurried proceedings to remove as many noncitizens from the country as quickly as possible.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In an era of such rapid and enormous change, the characteristics that defined an American, an American body, and, therefore, American citizenship itself were unstable and uncertain.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
  • Fanning out across downtown with no real destination is an L.A. tradition — what about joining the many immigrant rights groups who have set up rapid response networks to show up where la migra does?
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • No matter how small your business, here is a quick blueprint for strengthening your defense against common cyber threats: Start with the basics.
    Harry Kazakian, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • By the time Trump met Kim for a second summit in Hanoi, Trump’s attention had drifted from North Korea, and both men’s greed for a quick deal derailed their fragile progress.
    John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Although bad things do happen to him, they are often caused by his own careless and impulsive nature.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • Move slowly and be careful about impulsive ideas and actions.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Examples include moderate or brisk walking, water aerobics, doubles tennis, slow cycling, or ballroom dancing.
    Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025
  • The sun peeked out, but brisk winds were blowing and temperatures only climbed to the high 40s near the lakefront.
    Susan DeGrane, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, it’s not wrapped in just any tortilla, this one is extra special as it’s inspired by the fast food giant’s famous biscuits.
    Amber Love Bond, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) (a condition with lightheadedness and a fast heart rate when changing to a standing position) Types of Migraine The two main types of migraine are:4 Migraine without aura.
    Cathy Nelson, Verywell Health, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Crisp, curly hair indicates a hasty, somewhat impetuous and rash character.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
  • Ellie is rash and impulsive; Dina is lovestruck; Jesse is loyal and selfless.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Checkers’ response, however, was swift and decisive.
    Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2025
  • In a pandemic’s early stages, infections were swift, and death came quickly for both rats and humans.
    Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 3 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hasty. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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