Meanings
haste1
plural hastes
- uncountableusuallySpeed; swiftness; dispatch.
We were running late so we finished our meal in haste.
2 more examples
The king's business required haste.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 12:8There was a stampede as the congressmen jumped the banister in their hastes to be the first to sign away their souls.
2017, Russell M. Peterson, The Armies of Forever, page 368 - obsoleteuncountableusuallyUrgency; sudden excitement of feeling or passion; precipitance; vehemence.
I said in my haste, All men are liars.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 116:11
present singular third person hastes · participle present hasting · participle past hasted · past hasted
- archaictransitiveTo urge onward; to hasten.
Baſſ. You may doe ſo, but let it be ſo haſted that ſupper be readie at the fartheſt by fiue of the clocke.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 168 - archaicintransitiveTo move with haste.
Samson hastes not; but neither does he pause to rest.
1881, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present3 more examples
The city is amaz'd, for Sylla hastes / To enter Rome with fury, sword and fire.
1594, “The Wounds of Civill War”, in A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. VII (4th edition)He hastes away to another, whom his affairs have called to a distant place, and, having seen the empty house, goes away disgusted by a disappointment which could not be intended, because it could not be foreseen.
1825, Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson in Nine VolumesWaziri’s warriors marched at a rapid trot through the jungle in the direction of the village. For a few minutes, the sharp cracking of guns ahead warned them to haste, but finally the reports dwindled to an occasional shot, presently ceasing altogether.
1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 133
Haste2
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
nounoverly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
nounthe act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
haste · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱeyp-“to ridicule, mock, anger”
- Proto-Germanic*haifstiz“struggle, conflict”
- Frankish*hai(f)st“violence”
- Old Frenchhaste
- Middle Englishhast“haste”
- Middle Englishhasten
- Englishhaste
Blend of Middle English hasten (verb), (compare Dutch haasten, German hasten, Danish haste, Swedish hasta (“to hasten, rush”)) and Middle English hast (“haste”, noun), from Old French haste (whence French hâte), from Old Frankish *hai(f)st (“violence”), from Proto-Germanic *haifstiz (“struggle, conflict”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeyp- (“to ridicule, mock, anger”). Akin to Old Frisian hāst, hāste (“haste”), Old English hǣst (“violence”), Old English hǣste (“violent, impetuous, vehement”, adjective), Old Norse heift /heipt (“feud”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍃𐍄𐍃 (haifsts, “rivalry”). Cognate with German heftig (“vehement”) and Danish heftig (“vehement”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Frankish
Full word history & related roots →Haste · proper noun
- Old Frenchhaste“spit”
- EnglishHaste
Metonymic occupation surname for someone who turned the spit for roasting meat, from Old French haste (“spit”).
More words from Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek σπουδή
- σπουδή (spoudḗ)speed, swiftness, dispatch
Bulgarian бързина, бързане
- бързина (bărzina)speed, swiftness, dispatch
- бързане (bărzane)speed, swiftness, dispatch
Catalan pressa
- pressaspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Czech spěch
- spěchspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Danish hast
- hastspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Esperanto hasto
- hastospeed, swiftness, dispatch
Finnish kiire, hoppu
- kiirespeed, swiftness, dispatch
- hoppuspeed, swiftness, dispatch
French hâte
- hâtespeed, swiftness, dispatch
German Eile, Hast
- Eilespeed, swiftness, dispatch
- Hastspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Hungarian sietség
- sietségspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Irish dithneas
- dithneasspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Latin celeritas, festinatio
- celeritasspeed, swiftness, dispatch
- festinatiospeed, swiftness, dispatch
- properantiaspeed, swiftness, dispatch
- festinantiaspeed, swiftness, dispatch
- concitusspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Polish pośpiech
- pośpiechspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Portuguese pressa
- pressaspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Romanian grabă
- grabăspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Russian спе́шка
- спе́шка (spéška)speed, swiftness, dispatch
Scottish Gaelic cabhag, deann
- cabhagspeed, swiftness, dispatch
- deannspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Spanish prisa, premura
- prisaspeed, swiftness, dispatch
- premuraspeed, swiftness, dispatch
- acuciaspeed, swiftness, dispatch
- priesaspeed, swiftness, dispatch
- apurospeed, swiftness, dispatch
Swedish brådska
- brådskaspeed, swiftness, dispatch
Ukrainian поспіх
- поспіх (pospix)speed, swiftness, dispatch
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with haste
Anagrams
Cite this entry
haste. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/haste
“haste.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/haste. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “haste,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/haste.
Source: haste on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.