Hurry — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈhər-ē/ hur·ry

Meaning & Definition of Hurry

Hurry (verb)

  1. to carry or cause to go with haste
  2. to impel to rash or precipitate action
  3. to impel to greater speed, prod

Hurry (noun)

  1. disturbed or disorderly activity, commotion
  2. agitated and often bustling or disorderly haste
  3. a state of eagerness or urgency, rush

Hurry (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. excited and often showy or disorderly speed

    "after all her hurry to get her report done on time, Elizabeth learned that it wasn't due till the following week"

    similar: haste, hastiness, hustle, precipitation, precipitousness, rush
    related: bustle, flurry, flutter, scurry, scuttle, stir, whirl, beeline, dash, scramble, stampede, hotheadedness, impetuosity, impetuousness, impulsiveness, impulsivity, rashness, expedition, expeditiousness, fastness, fleetness, quickness, rapidity, rapidness, speed, speediness, swiftness, velocity, celerity, dispatch, promptitude, promptness
    opposite: deliberateness, deliberation
    near: dilatoriness, lateness, pokiness, procrastination, slowness, languor, leisureliness, lethargy, sluggishness, torpor, dormancy, inaction, inactivity, inertia, inertness, quiescence

  2. a high rate of movement or performance

    "a person who does everything in a hurry"

    similar: celerity, fastness, fleetness, haste, quickness, rapidity, rapidness, speed, speediness, swiftness, velocity
    related: clip, gait, pace, rate, tempo, drive, hustle, acceleration, hastiness, precipitation, precipitousness, rush, alacrity, dispatch, expedition, expeditiousness, promptitude, promptness, warp speed
    opposite: slowness, sluggishness
    near: languidness, languor, leisureliness, lethargy, torpidity, torpor, reluctance, deliberateness, deliberation, dilatoriness, lateness, pokiness, procrastination

  3. a state of noisy, confused activity

    "in all the hurry of the modern world, people tend to forget what's really important"

    similar: ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter (chiefly dialect), coil, commotion, disturbance, do (chiefly dialect), foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha, hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry-scurry, kerfuffle (chiefly British), moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore (Scottish), squall, stew, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, uproar, welter, whirl, williwaw, zoo
    related: cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar, disorder, unrest, upheaval, eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst, brawl, fracas, fray, hassle, melee, scuffle, dither, fever, fret, lather, tizzy
    near: calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquility, order, orderliness

Hurry (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to move or proceed fast or faster

    "the new nurses were hurried through the orientation program because they were so desperately needed on the ward"

    similar: accelerate, bundle, fast-track, hasten, quicken, rush, speed (up), whisk
    related: drive, goad, prod, propel, push, race, spur, stir, urge, aid, dispatch, ease, encourage, expedite, facilitate
    opposite: brake, decelerate, retard, slow (down)
    near: delay, encumber, fetter, hamper, hinder, hobble, hold back, hold up, impede, interfere (with), manacle, rein (in), restrain, shackle, tie up, trammel, arrest, check, stall, stay, still, stop

  2. to proceed or move quickly

    "if we hurry, we'll make the four o'clock train"

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb (slang), bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Related Entry: Hurry-scurry (noun)

Hurry-scurry is a different word from Hurry. The synonyms below are for hurry-scurry, not for hurry.

  1. a state of noisy, confused activity

    "for all the hurry-scurry you would have thought that the guests were the British royal family and not my in-laws"

    similar: ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter (chiefly dialect), coil, commotion, disturbance, do (chiefly dialect), foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha, hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, kerfuffle (chiefly British), moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore (Scottish), squall, stew, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, uproar, welter, whirl, williwaw, zoo
    related: cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar, disorder, unrest, upheaval, eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst, brawl, fracas, fray, hassle, melee, scuffle, dither, fever, fret, lather, tizzy
    near: calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquility, order, orderliness

Related Entry: Hurry-scurries (noun)

Hurry-scurries is a different word from Hurry. The synonyms below are for hurry-scurries, not for hurry.

  1. a state of noisy, confused activity

    "for all the hurry-scurry you would have thought that the guests were the British royal family and not my in-laws"

    similar: ados, alarums and excursions, ballyhoos, blathers, bluster, bobberies, bothers, bustles, clatters, clutters (chiefly dialect), coils, commotions, disturbances, dos (chiefly dialect), foofaraws, fun, furores, furors, fusses, helter-skelters, hoo-has, hooplas, hubble-bubbles, hubbubs, hullabaloos, hurlies, hurly-burlies, hurricanes, kerfuffles (chiefly British), moils, pandemoniums, pothers, rows, ruckuses, ructions, rumpuses, shindys, splores (Scottish), squalls, stews, stirs, storms, to-dos, tumults, turmoils, uproars, welters, whirls, williwaws, zoos
    related: cacophonies, clamors, dins, howls, hue and cries, noises, outcries, rackets, roars, disorders, upheavals, eruptions, flare-ups, flurries, flutters, outbreaks, outbursts, brawls, fracases, frays, hassles, melees, scuffles, dithers, fevers, frets, lathers, tizzies
    near: calms, hushes, peaces, quiets, quietudes, rests, tranquilities, orders

Related Entry: In a hurry (phrase)

In a hurry is a different word from Hurry. The synonyms below are for in a hurry, not for hurry.

  1. with great speed

    "They left in a hurry upon receiving the phone call."

    similar: apace, briskly, chop-chop, double-quick, fast, fleetly, full tilt, hastily, hell-for-leather, hot, lickety-split, posthaste, presto, pronto, quick, quickly, rapidly, snappily, soon, speedily, swift, swiftly, a mile a minute, at full throttle, at full tilt, by leaps and bounds, in short order, like a shot, like gangbusters, like wildfire
    related: immediately, promptly, readily, impetuously, impulsively, rashly, recklessly, abruptly, suddenly, energetically, vigorously
    opposite: slow, slowly
    near: laggardly, lingeringly, ploddingly, sluggishly, deliberately, leisurely, belatedly, delinquently, tardily

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hurry

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hurry:

Chiefly dialect: clutter, do
Chiefly British: kerfuffle
Scottish: splore
Slang: bomb
haste, hastiness, hustle, precipitation, precipitousness, rush, celerity, fastness, fleetness, quickness, rapidity, rapidness, speed, speediness, swiftness, velocity, ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, coil, commotion, disturbance, foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha, hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Hurry

Words with the opposite meaning of Hurry:

deliberateness, deliberation, slowness, sluggishness, brake, decelerate, retard, slow (down), crawl, creep, poke

Related Words for Hurry

flurry, flutter, beeline, scramble, stampede, hotheadedness, impetuosity, impetuousness, impulsiveness, impulsivity, rashness, expedition, expeditiousness, dispatch, promptitude, promptness, clip, gait, pace, rate, tempo, acceleration, alacrity, warp speed, cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise

Near Antonyms of Hurry

dilatoriness, lateness, pokiness, procrastination, languor, leisureliness, lethargy, torpor, dormancy, inaction, inactivity, inertia, inertness, quiescence, languidness, torpidity, reluctance, calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquility, order, orderliness, delay, encumber, fetter

Word Forms of Hurry

Inflections: hurried, hurrying

Derived words: hurrier (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Hurry

perhaps from Middle English horyen

First known use: 1592t

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Hurry

Words & Phrases Containing Hurry

hurry-scurry, hurry-up, hurry it up, hurry up and wait, in a hurry, in no hurry, not in any/a hurry

Frequently Asked Questions about Hurry

What does "Hurry" mean?

"Hurry" means to carry or cause to go with haste. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to carry or cause to go with haste. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hurry"?

Other words for "Hurry" include haste, hastiness, hustle, precipitation, precipitousness, rush, celerity and fastness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hurry" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hurry"?

There are 206 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hurry". Common alternatives include haste, hastiness, hustle, precipitation, precipitousness, rush, celerity, fastness, fleetness and quickness.

What is the opposite of "Hurry"?

Antonyms of "Hurry" include deliberateness, deliberation, slowness, sluggishness, brake, decelerate, retard and slow (down). Near antonyms include dilatoriness, lateness, pokiness and procrastination.

How do you use "Hurry" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hurry" in a sentence: "after all her hurry to get her report done on time, Elizabeth learned that it wasn't due till the following week"; "a person who does everything in a hurry"; "in all the hurry of the modern world, people tend to forget what's really important".

Is "Hurry" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hurry" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Hurry" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Hurry" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Hurry"?

"Hurry" is pronounced /ˈhər-ē/ and divided into syllables as hur·ry.