HASTEN

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hasten mean? 

• HASTEN (verb)
  The verb HASTEN has 4 senses:

1. act or move at high speed

2. move hurridly

3. speed up the progress of; facilitate

4. cause to occur rapidly

  Familiarity information: HASTEN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HASTEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they hasten    ... he / she / it hastens   
Past simple: hastened   
Past participle: hastened   
-ing form: hastening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Act or move at high speed

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

festinate; hasten; hurry; look sharp; rush

Context example:

hurry--it's late!

Hypernyms (to "hasten" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move hurridly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

belt along; bucket along; cannonball along; hasten; hie; hotfoot; pelt along; race; rush; rush along; speed; step on it

Context example:

The cars raced down the street

Hypernyms (to "hasten" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hasten"):

barge; push forward; thrust ahead (push one's way)

buck; charge; shoot; shoot down; tear (move quickly and violently)

dart; dash; flash; scoot; scud; shoot (run or move very quickly or hastily)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Speed up the progress of; facilitate

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

expedite; hasten

Context example:

This should expedite the process

Hypernyms (to "hasten" is one way to...):

aid; assist; help (give help or assistance; be of service)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause to occur rapidly

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

hasten; induce; rush; stimulate

Context example:

the infection precipitated a high fever and allergic reactions

Hypernyms (to "hasten" is one way to...):

effect; effectuate; set up (produce)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

Peggotty had hastened to the chair before the fire.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Sometimes, however, a nip on his hind-quarters hastened his retreat and made it anything but stately.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I knew that I ought to hasten my descent towards the valley, as I should soon be encompassed in darkness; but my heart was heavy, and my steps slow.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

But they hastened it by overfeeding, bringing the day nearer when underfeeding would commence.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

We stared in amazement. A sheet of steady flame seemed to cross the passage and to bar our way. We hastened towards it.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They laughed—kissed me—then Hannah: patted Carlo, who was half wild with delight; asked eagerly if all was well; and being assured in the affirmative, hastened into the house.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I could do nothing, however, so I plucked up what heart I could and said that we had better hasten, as the afternoon was passing....

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

These considerations moved me to hasten my departure somewhat sooner than I intended; to which the court, impatient to have me gone, very readily contributed.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The man had looked the threat, and Martin hastened to cry: No, no; I've got it.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The advance could also hasten new technologies for solar-energy conversion, quantum information, and near-infrared driven photocatalysis.

(Making higher energy light to fight cancer, National Science Foundation)