festinate

F4E1S1T1I1N1A1T1E1
/ˈfɛs.tɪˌneɪt//ˈfɛstɪnət/

verb

To become involuntarily quicker, such as when walking or speaking, due to certain disorders.

Similar
rushhastenhurrylook sharp
OriginLatin festīnātus →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

verbfestinate (third-person singular simple present festinates, present participle festinating, simple past and past participle festinated)

present singular third person festinates · participle present festinating · participle past festinated · past festinated

  1. medicineTo become involuntarily quicker, such as when walking or speaking, due to certain disorders.
  2. intransitiveTo hurry, make haste.
  3. transitiveTo accelerate, quicken, hasten, hurry (something or someone).
adjectivefestinate (comparative more festinate, superlative most festinate)

comparative more festinate · superlative most festinate

  1. obsoleteHurried, hasty.

    Advise the Duke where you are going, to a most festinate preparation.

    c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]

Synonyms & antonyms

verbact at high speed

Similar
rushhastenhurrylook sharp
Broader
actmove
Also see
hastenhurrylook sharprush

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinfestīnātus
  2. Englishfestinate

First attested in 1556; Borrowed from Latin festīnātus, perfect passive participle of festīnō (“to hurry”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Fettesian
Cite this entry
APA

festinate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/festinate

MLA

“festinate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/festinate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “festinate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/festinate.

Source: festinate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.