hasty

adjective

ˈhā-stē How to pronounce hasty (audio)
Definition of hastynext
1
as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed Anna later regretted her hasty decision to sell her car

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed we all wish our sick friend a hasty recovery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective hasty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hasty are expeditious, fast, fleet, quick, rapid, speedy, and swift. While all these words mean "moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity," hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

When is expeditious a more appropriate choice than hasty?

The words expeditious and hasty can be used in similar contexts, but expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

How are the words fast and rapid related as synonyms of hasty?

Both fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves.

fast horses

When could fleet be used to replace hasty?

In some situations, the words fleet and hasty are roughly equivalent. However, fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

When would quick be a good substitute for hasty?

Although the words quick and hasty have much in common, quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

When can rapid be used instead of hasty?

The synonyms rapid and hasty are sometimes interchangeable, but rapid applies to the movement itself, rather than to the thing that moves.

rapid current

When is it sensible to use speedy instead of hasty?

While in some cases nearly identical to hasty, speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment and may also suggest unusual velocity.

speedy delivery of mail

Where would swift be a reasonable alternative to hasty?

While the synonyms swift and hasty are close in meaning, swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hasty The Supreme Court knows this also, hence its hasty and premature dicta insulating members of the Federal Reserve Board from removal. —George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025 And the hasty budget changes mean some people will get hurt. —Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 11 June 2025 The solutions are difficult, and many of the entrepreneurs said their businesses are facing existential crises, delaying new shipments and trying not to make any hasty decisions. —Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 Such shifts would allow Washington to update its global force posture without hasty changes that surprise allies and create security gaps leading to deterrence failures. —Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hasty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hasty
  1. hurried
  2. rapid
  3. quick
  4. impulsive
  5. brisk
  6. fast
  7. rash
  8. swift
Adjective
  • After a hurried recovery period in his upstate hospital, Dexter heads to New York City, where his son Harrison (Jack Alcott) has moved.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
  • Here’s how Kansas and Missouri representatives and senators voted in the hurried push to pass President Trump’s massive, controversial spending bill.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2025
Definition of hurried
Adjective
  • Modular Applications Modular applications, containers and microservices allow rapid cloud-native development and seamless deployment of features tailored to customer requirements.
    — Yu Fang, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Excessive drinking, eating, and urinating or weight changes in children: See a provider if your child is suddenly drinking, eating, or urinating more than usual, or if there’s a rapid change in weight.
    — Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 15 July 2025
Definition of rapid
Adjective
  • The latest of the spacecraft, known as sounding rockets, most recently made a successful quick trip to space to study one of the most complex regions of the sun's atmosphere following a New Mexico launch.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 21 July 2025
  • And getting there might require making a quick withdrawal.
    — DeVonne Goode, Parents, 21 July 2025
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • Merz, 69, is impulsive, prickly under pressure and occasionally leans into populist bluster.
    — Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 26 June 2025
  • Unlike reckless risk-taking, which is impulsive and uninformed, calculated risk should be strategic and intentional.
    — Vikram Joshi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Definition of impulsive
Adjective
  • Making a brisk morning walk in the sun part of your daily routine can be a grounding, enjoyable experience.
    — Ashley Olivine, Verywell Health, 23 July 2025
  • When measuring the nation's collective fitness, the good news is Americans are more likely to take a brisk walk, play pickleball or lift weights.
    — Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 22 July 2025
Definition of brisk
Adjective
  • One study linked frequent fast food consumption to overweight, abdominal fat gain, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
    — Lindsey DeSoto, Verywell Health, 21 July 2025
  • Kathy Bledsoe, 44, was working as manager at a Belleville outpost of the fast food chain on July 16, and at one point in the afternoon instructed a juvenile female to take out the trash, according to the Belleville Police Department.
    — Chris Spargo, People.com, 21 July 2025
Definition of fast
Adjective
  • Although he was renowned for his looks, Alcibiades was notoriously rash and silly.
    — Book Marks June 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
  • Those symptoms include fever, cough, rash, watery eyes, runny nose and small white spots inside the mouth and throat.
    — Austin American Statesman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Definition of rash
Adjective
  • The swift decline of Vidalia Mills in Louisiana—if it can even be said to have truly taken off—is a telling example.
    — Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 22 July 2025
  • If the governor opens the door to these projects, the blowback will be swift, vocal, and impossible to ignore.
    — Laura Shindell, New York Daily News, 20 July 2025
Definition of swift

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Cite this Entry

“Hasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hasty. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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