Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

hasty

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of hasty

1 acting or done with excessive or careless speed
  • Anna later regretted her hasty decision to sell her car.
Synonyms of hasty

cursory, flying, headlong, helter-skelter, hurried, overhasty, pell-mell, precipitate, precipitous, rash, rushed
Words Related to hasty

breakneck, breathtaking

headstrong, heady, hotheaded, impatient, impetuous, impulsive, madcap, reckless, unadvised

quick, rapid, speedy, swift

horseback, impromptu, makeshift, offhand, offhanded, off-the-cuff, rush, slapdash, snap, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment

abrupt, sudden
Near Antonyms of hasty

calculated, calculating, measured

circumspect, foresighted, forethoughtful

drawn-out, extended, long-term, prolonged

faltering, hesitant, hesitating, tentative

dallying, dawdling, laggard, leisurely, poky (or pokey), shilly-shallying, slow
Antonyms of hasty

deliberate, unhurried, unrushed
2 moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
  • We all wish our sick friend a hasty recovery.
Synonyms of hasty

blistering, breakneck, breathless, brisk, dizzy, fast, fleet, fleet-footed, flying, galloping, hot, lightning, nippy, quick, rapid, rapid-fire, rattling, snappy, speedy, splitting, swift, whirlwind, zippy
Words Related to hasty

expeditious, prompt, ready

accelerated, hastened, hurried, quickened, rushed

breathtaking

energetic, strenuous, strong, vigorous

high-speed

rush

ultrafast, ultrarapid
Near Antonyms of hasty

crawling, dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, languid, lingering, plodding, poking, poky (or pokey), slowish, sluggish, unhurried

deliberate, leisurely, measured

dilatory, late, tardy

ultraslow
Antonyms of hasty

slow

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about hasty

  1. Dictionary: Definition of hasty Spanish Central: Translation of hasty Nglish: Translation of hasty for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hasty for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up hasty? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

traduce

play

to lower or disgrace the reputation of

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  2. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

  3. slimeball 'a morally repulsive or odious person'

  4. salacious 'arousing or appealing to sexual desire'

  5. oligarch 'government in which a small group exercises control'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image236659401
Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

alt-5ada140ed3e28
'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Why not both?

alt-5ad8fc71357ed
Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

alt-5ad8d3361fb97
Where 'Cliff-hangers' Come From

You're on the edge of your seat

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
cats-on-impossible-timber
More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
Syn City
Syn City

Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.

Play the game