hurry

14 synonyms and 4 antonyms for hurry, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To move or act with speed, or to make someone or something move faster.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

rush race speed

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

hustle dash zip rushing haste precipitation

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

hasten quicken festinate hastiness hurriedness

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To move or act with speed, or to make someone or something move faster.

“Hurry up, the bus leaves in two minutes!”

rush hasten hustle race dash quicken zip festinate speed

Opposites

defer procrastinate dilly dally lag

2. noun

The state of needing to do something quickly; urgency.

“Why are you in such a hurry to leave the party?”

rushing rush haste precipitation hastiness hurriedness

How to use hurry

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

in a hurry hurry up no hurry hurry along

Etymology

From Middle English horien ("to rush"), probably related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning "to rush" or "to vibrate rapidly" — distantly connected to the word rush itself.

Full origin of hurry →

Frequently asked questions

What does “hurry” mean?

The word “hurry” means to move or act with speed, or to make someone or something move faster. In plain terms, to move fast because time is short, or the feeling of needing to move fast.

How do you pronounce “hurry”?

“Hurry” is pronounced HUH-ree (/ˈhʌ.ɹi/ in IPA).

How do you use “hurry” in a sentence?

Here is “hurry” used in a sentence: “We need to hurry or we'll miss the flight.”

What part of speech is “hurry”?

Depending on how it is used, “hurry” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “hurry” come from?

The word “hurry” comes from Middle English. From Middle English horien ("to rush"), probably related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning "to rush" or "to vibrate rapidly" — distantly connected to the word rush itself.

Is “hurry” a common word?

“Hurry” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

How many meanings does “hurry” have?

“Hurry” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to move or act with speed, or to make someone or something move faster.

What is the difference between hurry and rush?

Both mean to move or act quickly, but rush suggests more force, haste, and sometimes carelessness. Hurry is a slightly softer, everyday word for speeding up without that added sense of chaos.

What is the difference between 'hurry' and 'hurry up'?

Adding 'up' makes the phrase more emphatic and is usually a direct command telling someone to go faster. 'Hurry' on its own can be a gentler prompt or a plain statement about moving quickly.

What is the difference between hurry and hasten?

Both mean to speed up an action or a person. Hasten is more formal and appears mainly in writing, while hurry is the common choice in everyday speech.

People also searched

race speed rush dash rushing zip precipitation lag hustle haste defer dilly dally

Nearby words

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