hurry

1 of 2

verb

hur·​ry ˈhər-ē How to pronounce hurry (audio)
ˈhə-rē
hurried; hurrying
Synonyms of hurrynext

transitive verb

1
a
: to carry or cause to go with haste
hurry them to the hospital
b
: to impel to rash or precipitate action
that hard-to-be-governed passion of youth hurried me frequently into intrigues with low women—Benjamin Franklin
2
a
: to impel to greater speed : prod
used spurs to hurry the horse
b
: expedite
asked them to hurry dinner
c
: to perform with undue haste
hurry a minuet

intransitive verb

: to move or act with haste
please hurry up
hurrier noun

hurry

2 of 2

noun

1
: disturbed or disorderly activity : commotion
the incessant hurry and trivial activity of daily life … seem to prevent, or at least discourage, quiet and intense thinking—C. W. Eliot
2
a
: agitated and often bustling or disorderly haste
b
: a state of eagerness or urgency : rush
was in a hurry to get home
Phrases
in a hurry
: without delay : as rapidly as possible
the police got there in a hurry

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for hurry

haste, hurry, speed, expedition, dispatch mean quickness in movement or action.

haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.

marry in haste

hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion.

in the hurry of departure she forgot her toothbrush

speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action.

exercises to increase your reading speed

expedition and dispatch both imply speed and efficiency in handling affairs but expedition stresses ease or efficiency of performance and dispatch stresses promptness in concluding matters.

the case came to trial with expedition
paid bills with dispatch

Examples of hurry in a Sentence

Verb Take your time. There's no need to hurry. She hurried off to her class. We hurried through the lesson so that we could finish early. The teacher hurried us through the lesson. They hurried the children off to bed. The quarterback was forced to hurry his throw. Noun In her hurry to leave she forgot her briefcase. after all her hurry to get her report done on time, Elizabeth learned that it wasn't due till the following week
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Standard protocol when a critically ill patient experiences a miscarriage is to stabilize her and, in most cases, hurry to the operating room for delivery, medical experts said. —Lizzie Presser and Kavitha Surana, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024 Based on Philbrick's affidavit, Keough's lawyers hurried into court to prevent the sale of Graceland. —Claire Pedersen, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
Keep scrolling to shop these fashion finds, but hurry, sizes are already selling out. —Shea Simmons, People.com, 10 Oct. 2024 Mashing the gas, the 27-year-old E60 lurched forward and eliminated the gap in a hurry. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hurry 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

perhaps from Middle English horyen

First Known Use

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hurry was in 1592

Phrases Containing hurry

Dictionary Entries Near hurry

hurrock

hurry

hurry-burry

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Hurry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurry. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

hurry

1 of 2 verb
hur·​ry ˈhər-ē How to pronounce hurry (audio)
ˈhə-rē
hurried; hurrying
1
a
: to carry or cause to go with haste
hurry the child to the hospital
b
: to move or act with haste
had to hurry to arrive in time
2
a
: to urge on to greater speed : prod
b
: to hasten the doing of
hurry a repair job
hurrier noun

hurry

2 of 2 noun
plural hurries
1
: great speed
especially : unnecessary haste
2
: a state of eagerness or urgency : rush

More from Merriam-Webster on hurry

Nglish: Translation of hurry for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hurry for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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