hastier; hastiest
1
a
: done or made in a hurry
hasty city-street snapshots—
R. B. Heilman
R. B. Heilman
b
: fast and typically superficial
made a hasty examination of the wound
c
archaic
: rapid in action or movement : speedy
2
: acting too quickly : overly eager or impatient
realized he had been hasty in quitting his job
3
: exhibiting a lack of careful thought or consideration : precipitate, rash
We don't want to make any hasty decisions.
4
: prone to anger : irritable
a hasty temperament
hastiness
noun
Examples of hasty in a Sentence
I made a hasty sketch of the scene.
Seeing the dog, the cat made a hasty retreat up a tree.
We don't want to make any hasty decisions.
He later realized that he was too hasty in his decision to quit.
Recent Examples on the Web
All hands beat a hasty re treat to the cabin and barricaded themselves behind the companionway door.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
The recent uptick may be hasty unless the company can consistently deliver production, manage expenses, and progress towards generating sustainable cash flow.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
More than 80 years ago, the crew of the USS New Orleans, having been hit by a Japanese torpedo and losing scores of sailors, performed hasty repairs with coconut logs, before a 1,800-mile voyage across the Pacific in reverse.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
His lawyers have denied the allegations against him and called the detention request an unreasonable move in a hasty investigation.
—Reuters, NBC news, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hasty
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Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
The recent uptick may be hasty unless the company can consistently deliver production, manage expenses, and progress towards generating sustainable cash flow.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
More than 80 years ago, the crew of the USS New Orleans, having been hit by a Japanese torpedo and losing scores of sailors, performed hasty repairs with coconut logs, before a 1,800-mile voyage across the Pacific in reverse.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
His lawyers have denied the allegations against him and called the detention request an unreasonable move in a hasty investigation.
—Reuters, NBC news, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hasty
Cite this Entry
“Hasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hasty. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hasty
adjective
hastier; hastiest
1
a
: done or made in a hurry
made a hasty sketch of the scene
b
: fast and often not thorough
made a hasty survey of the problem
2
: acting or done without forethought : rash
3
: quick to anger : irritable
a hasty temper
hastily
adverb
-stə-lē
hastiness
noun
-stē-nəs
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