hasten

[ hey-suhn ]

verb (used without object)

1. to move or act with haste; proceed with haste; hurry:

   to hasten to a place.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to hasten; accelerate:

   to hasten someone from a room; to hasten the arrival of a happier time.

   Synonyms: precipitate, speed, quicken, expedite, press, urge

hasten

/ ˈheɪsən /

verb

1. may take an infinitive to hurry or cause to hurry; rush
2. tr to be anxious (to say something)

   I hasten to add that we are just good friends

Derived Forms

• ˈhastener, noun

Other Words From

• hasten·er noun
• outhasten verb (used with object)
• over·hasten verb
• un·hastened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hasten¹

First recorded in 1565–75; haste + -en ¹

Example Sentences

Several council members said Friday that they would hasten passage of L.A.’s “sanctuary” law, which is still under review by city attorneys, in the face of Trump’s promised crackdown on immigrants.

From Los Angeles Times

Such steps would add billions of tons of additional greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and hasten the looming impacts of climate change.

From Salon

Rory McIlroy, a critic of LIV Golf, says Donald Trump’s presidential win could hasten a deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund that owns LIV.

From Los Angeles Times

First Pakistan employed a recycled pitch to level the series in Multan, now they have used unorthodox methods to hasten the deterioration of the surface in Rawalpindi.

From BBC

"We've got to do so much better to help them, but the answer to that is not to hasten their deaths artificially but to ensure that they die well," he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• accelerate
• expedite
• precipitate
• quicken
• step up
• urge