Meanings
Origin
The word speed is used here in the dated sense of “success, luck” (compare Godspeed), though probably with a pun on the sense “velocity”. Compare the same in Low German je gröter Hast, je minder Spood.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 欲速則不達 /欲速则不达
- 欲速則不達 /欲速则不达 (yùsù zé bùdá)when one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Czech spěchej pomalu
- spěchej pomaluwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Danish hastværk er lastværk
- hastværk er lastværkwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Finnish ei ole hoppu hyväksi, eikä kiire kunniaksi, hiljaa hyvä tulee
- ei ole hoppu hyväksi, eikä kiire kunniaksiwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
- hiljaa hyvä tuleewhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
French il ne faut pas confondre vitesse et précipitation
- il ne faut pas confondre vitesse et précipitationwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
German Eile mit Weile
- Eile mit Weilewhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Greek σπεύδε βραδέως
- σπεύδε βραδέως (spévde vradéos)when one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Hungarian lassan járj, tovább érsz
- lassan járj, tovább érszwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Irish dá mhéad í an deifir is ea is mó an mhoill
- dá mhéad í an deifir is ea is mó an mhoillwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Italian presto e bene raro avviene
- presto e bene raro avvienewhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Norwegian Bokmål hastverk er lastverk
- hastverk er lastverkwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Polish gdy się człowiek śpieszy, to się diabeł cieszy, co nagle, to po diable
- gdy się człowiek śpieszy, to się diabeł cieszywhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
- co nagle, to po diablewhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
- śpiesz się powoliwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Romanian graba strică treaba
- graba strică treabawhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Spanish vísteme despacio, que tengo prisa
- vísteme despacio, que tengo prisawhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Swahili haraka haraka haina baraka
- haraka haraka haina barakawhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Tagalog ang maglakad nang matulin, kung matinik ay malalim
- ang maglakad nang matulin, kung matinik ay malalimwhen one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly
Cite this entry
APA
more haste, less speed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/more%20haste%2C%20less%20speed
MLA
“more haste, less speed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/more%20haste%2C%20less%20speed. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “more haste, less speed,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/more%20haste%2C%20less%20speed.
Source: more haste, less speed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.