hasten

verb

has·​ten ˈhā-sᵊn 

hastened; hastening ˈhā-sᵊn-iŋ 

ˈhās-niŋ

intransitive verb

: to move or act quickly

She hastened up the stairs.

transitive verb

1

: to encourage to move or act quickly : to urge on

hastened her to the door

—A. J. Cronin

2

: to cause to happen more quickly : accelerate

His death was hastened by alcoholism.

hasten the coming of a new order

—D. W. Brogan

hastener

ˈhā-sᵊn-ər 

ˈhās-nər

noun

Synonyms

• accelerate
• bundle
• fast-track
• hurry
• quicken
• rush
• speed (up)
• whisk

Examples of hasten in a Sentence

His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.

hasten the activation of yeast with heat

Recent Examples on the Web

City Schools Chancellor David Banks was set to retire and leave office late this year but instead hastened his departure to mid-October. —David K. Li, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024

The Defense Department is to be commended for its Replicator Initiative, a program designed to hasten the adoption of emerging military technologies, but creating an entirely new acquisition process raises the question of why the Pentagon doesn’t just fix its existing one. —Mitch McConnell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024

By publicly and privately drawing attention to the institution of slavery and those enslaved, especially in Southern cities and plantations, Lafayette was making his position known and trying to hasten the end of the odious practice. —Elizabeth M. Reese / Made By History, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024

The size would be lessened, and the speed of processing would tend to hasten. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see haste entry 1

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing hasten

• hasten to add/say/explain (etc.)

Kids Definition

hasten

verb

has·​ten ˈhā-sᵊn 

hastened; hastening ˈhās-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to urge on

2

: to speed up : accelerate

hastened my steps

3

: to move or act quickly : hurry

hastener

ˈhās-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun