Standard Lemma guide

hurry

noun · verb · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈhʌ.ɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ without the hurry–furry merger
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈhɝ.i/ US, hurry–furry merger
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Northern-England: /ˈhʊ.ɹi/
  • South-Asia: /ˈhə.ri/
  • rhymes with -ʌɹi
  • rhymes with -ʊəɹi
  • CMU ARPABET: HH ER1 IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A rushed action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Why are you in such a big hurry?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An urgency.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • There is no hurry on that paperwork.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An incidence of a defensive pressure that forces the quarterback to throw the ball earlier than intended or rush their decision, often leading to an incomplete pass or failed play.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: American-football, ball-games, football, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A tremolando passage for violins, etc., accompanying an exciting situation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To do things quickly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • He's hurrying because he's late.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

Often with up, to speed up the rate of doing something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • If you don't hurry (up) you won't finish on time.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To cause to be done quickly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To hasten; to impel to greater speed; to urge on.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To impel to precipitate or thoughtless action; to urge to confused or irregular activity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To put: to convey coal in the mine, e.g. from the working to the tramway.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, mining

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • in his haste to leave he forgot his book

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: haste, rush, rushing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: motion, movement, move

Narrower terms: dash, bolt, scamper, scramble, scurry

12

noun

Meaning 12

overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he soon regretted his haste

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: haste, hastiness, hurriedness, precipitation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: speed, swiftness, fastness

Narrower terms: abruptness, precipitateness, precipitousness, precipitance, precipitancy, suddenness

13

noun

Meaning 13

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • in a hurry to lock the door

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: haste

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: urgency

14

verb

Meaning 14

urge to an unnatural speed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Don't rush me, please!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rush

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: urge, urge on, press, exhort

15

verb

Meaning 15

act or move at high speed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We have to rush!
  • hurry--it's late!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rush, hasten, look sharp, festinate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: act, move

16

verb

Meaning 16

move very fast

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The runner zipped past us at breakneck speed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: travel rapidly, speed, zip

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: travel, go, move, locomote

Narrower terms: flit, flutter, fleet, dart, run, zoom, zoom along, whizz, whizz along

History

Etymology

From Middle English horien (“to rush, impel”), probably a variation of hurren (“to vibrate rapidly, buzz”), from Proto-Germanic *hurzaną (“to rush”) (compare Middle High German hurren (“to hasten”), Norwegian hurre (“to whirl around”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run”) (compare Latin currō (“to run”), Tocharian A kursär/Tocharian B kwarsär (“league; course”)). Related to hurr, horse, rush. Alternative etymology derives hurry as a variant of harry.

Across languages

Translations

184 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: nxitim nxe — rushed action
  • Western Apache: daha — rushed action
  • Arabic: عَجَلَة (ʕajala) — rushed action
  • Basque: presa — rushed action
  • Belarusian: паспе́х (paspjéx) — rushed action
  • Belarusian: спе́шка (spjéška) — rushed action
  • Bulgarian: бъ́рзане (bǎ́rzane) — rushed action
  • Catalan: pressa — rushed action
  • Czech: spěch — rushed action
  • Finnish: kiire — rushed action
  • French: précipitation — rushed action
  • French: hâte — rushed action
  • Galician: apuro — rushed action
  • Galician: présa — rushed action
  • German: Eile — rushed action
  • Greek: βιασύνη (viasýni) — rushed action
  • Ancient Greek: σπουδή (spoudḗ) — rushed action
  • Hungarian: sietség — rushed action
  • Ingrian: kippu — rushed action
  • Ingrian: kiire — rushed action
  • Irish: deifir — rushed action
  • Irish: deabhadh — rushed action
  • Irish: dithneas — rushed action
  • Italian: fretta — rushed action
  • Italian: premura — rushed action
  • Italian: furia — rushed action
  • Japanese: 急ぐこと (isogu koto) — rushed action
  • Central Kurdish: خێرا (xêra) — rushed action
  • Ladino: adjilé — rushed action
  • Ladino: premura — rushed action
  • Latvian: skuba — rushed action
  • Maranao: lagoy — rushed action
  • Neapolitan: pressa — rushed action
  • Norwegian Bokmål: travelhet — rushed action
  • Odia: ତରବର (tarabara) — rushed action
  • Old English: efest — rushed action
  • Plautdietsch: Eil — rushed action
  • Plautdietsch: Bos — rushed action
  • Polish: pośpiech — rushed action
  • Portuguese: pressa — rushed action
  • Quechua: utqay — rushed action
  • Russian: спе́шка (spéška) — rushed action
  • Scottish Gaelic: cabhag — rushed action
  • Scottish Gaelic: deann — rushed action
  • Slovak: náhlenie — rushed action
  • Somali: degdeg — rushed action
  • Spanish: prisa — rushed action
  • Spanish: apuro — rushed action
  • Spanish: afán — rushed action
  • Swedish: jäkt — rushed action
  • Swedish: hast — rushed action
  • Swedish: brådska — rushed action
  • Swedish: hets — rushed action
  • Tagalog: pagmamadali — rushed action
  • Turkish: acele — rushed action
  • Ottoman Turkish: عجله (ʼacele) — rushed action
  • Ukrainian: по́спіх (póspix) — rushed action
  • Finnish: kiire — urgency — see also urgency
  • Finnish: hätä — urgency — see also urgency
  • Galician: apuro — urgency — see also urgency
  • Galician: présa — urgency — see also urgency
  • Polish: nagłość — urgency — see also urgency
  • Polish: pilność — urgency — see also urgency
  • Norwegian Bokmål: press — American football: incidence of a defensive player forcing the quarterback to act faster than the quarterback was prepared to
  • Albanian: nxitoj — to do things quickly
  • Southern Altai: ылтамдаар (ïltamdaar) — to do things quickly
  • Amharic: ፈጠነ (fäṭänä) — to do things quickly
  • Arabic: أَسْرَعَ (ʔasraʕa) — to do things quickly
  • Arabic: اِنْدَفَعَ (indafaʕa) — to do things quickly
  • Arabic: استعجل (istaʕgil) — to do things quickly
  • Armenian: շտապել (štapel) — to do things quickly
  • Armenian: արտորալ (artoral) — to do things quickly
  • Azerbaijani: tələsmək — to do things quickly
  • Bashkir: ашығыу (aşığıw) — to do things quickly
  • Bashkir: ҡабаланыу (qabalanıw) — to do things quickly
  • Belarusian: спяша́цца (spjašácca) — to do things quickly
  • Bulgarian: бъ́рзам (bǎ́rzam) — to do things quickly
  • Catalan: cuitar — to do things quickly
  • Catalan: fer via — to do things quickly
  • Catalan: afanyar-se — to do things quickly
  • Catalan: apressar — to do things quickly
  • Chinese Mandarin: 趕工 /赶工 (gǎngōng) — to do things quickly
  • Chinese Mandarin: 忙 (máng) — to do things quickly
  • Chinese Mandarin: 趕來 /赶来 (gǎnlái) — to do things quickly
  • Czech: spěchat — to do things quickly
  • Danish: skynde sig — to do things quickly
  • Esperanto: rapidi — to do things quickly
  • Finnish: kiiruhtaa — to do things quickly
  • Finnish: pitää kiirettä — to do things quickly
  • French: se dépêcher — to do things quickly
  • French: se hâter — to do things quickly
  • Galician: apresurarse — to do things quickly
  • Galician: apurarse — to do things quickly
  • Galician: bulir — to do things quickly
  • German: sich beeilen — to do things quickly
  • German: eilen — to do things quickly
  • Ancient Greek: σπεύδω (speúdō) — to do things quickly
  • Hungarian: siet — to do things quickly
  • Icelandic: flýta — to do things quickly
  • Ingrian: hypätä — to do things quickly
  • Irish: éascaigh — to do things quickly
  • Italian: affrettarsi — to do things quickly
  • Italian: precipitarsi — to do things quickly
  • Japanese: 急ぐ (isogu) — to do things quickly
  • Kapampangan: mamalagwa — to do things quickly
  • Kapampangan: mamirapal — to do things quickly
  • Khmer: ប្រញាប់ (prɑɑñap) — to do things quickly
  • Korean: 서두르다 (seodureuda) — to do things quickly
  • Kyrgyz: ылдамдоо (ıldamdoo) — to do things quickly
  • Latin: festīnō — to do things quickly
  • Latin: ruō — to do things quickly
  • Lithuanian: skubėti — to do things quickly
  • Macedonian: брза (brza) — to do things quickly
  • Neapolitan: fa' ampressa — to do things quickly
  • Norman: dêpêchi — to do things quickly
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skynde seg — to do things quickly
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skunde seg — to do things quickly
  • Old English: efestan — to do things quickly
  • Oromo: ariifachuu — to do things quickly
  • Iranian Persian: عَجَلِه کَرْدَن (ajale kardan) — to do things quickly
  • Polish: śpieszyć się — to do things quickly
  • Portuguese: apressar — to do things quickly
  • Quechua: utqay — to do things quickly
  • Russian: спеши́ть (spešítʹ) — to do things quickly
  • Russian: торопи́ться (toropítʹsja) — to do things quickly
  • Russian: поспеша́ть (pospešátʹ) — to do things quickly
  • Scottish Gaelic: greas — to do things quickly
  • Serbo-Croatian: жу́рити се — to do things quickly
  • Serbo-Croatian: žúriti — to do things quickly
  • Slovak: náhliť sa — to do things quickly
  • Slovak: ponáhľať sa — to do things quickly
  • Slovene: hiteti — to do things quickly
  • Spanish: apresurarse — to do things quickly
  • Spanish: apurarse — to do things quickly
  • Spanish: darse prisa — to do things quickly
  • Spanish: apremiarse — to do things quickly
  • Swedish: skynda sig — to do things quickly
  • Tagalog: bilisan — to do things quickly
  • Tagalog: magmadali — to do things quickly
  • Telugu: వేగిరపడు (vēgirapaḍu) — to do things quickly
  • Thai: รีบ (rîip) — to do things quickly
  • Turkish: acele etmek — to do things quickly
  • Turkish: aşıkmak — to do things quickly
  • Turkish: telesmek — to do things quickly
  • Turkish: ivmek — to do things quickly
  • Ottoman Turkish: ایومك (ivmek) — to do things quickly
  • Ukrainian: поспіша́ти (pospišáty) — to do things quickly
  • Unami: shaelìntàm — to do things quickly
  • Vietnamese: vội vàng — to do things quickly
  • Vietnamese: vội — to do things quickly
  • Bulgarian: избъ́рзвам (izbǎ́rzvam) — to speed up the rate
  • Catalan: cuitar — to speed up the rate
  • Catalan: accelerar — to speed up the rate
  • Catalan: apressar — to speed up the rate
  • Esperanto: rapidiĝi — to speed up the rate
  • Finnish: kiirehtiä — to speed up the rate
  • Finnish: nopeuttaa — to speed up the rate
  • Finnish: lisätä vauhtia — to speed up the rate
  • Galician: apresurar — to speed up the rate
  • Galician: apurar — to speed up the rate
  • Galician: aburar — to speed up the rate
  • German: sich beeilen — to speed up the rate
  • Hungarian: siet — to speed up the rate
  • Irish: éascaigh — to speed up the rate
  • Māori: whakatūkawikawi — to speed up the rate
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skynde seg — to speed up the rate
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skunde seg — to speed up the rate
  • Polish: przyśpieszać — to speed up the rate
  • Polish: przyśpieszyć — to speed up the rate
  • Portuguese: apressar — to speed up the rate
  • Quechua: utqaychay — to speed up the rate
  • Slovak: ponáhľať — to speed up the rate
  • Spanish: apresurarse — to speed up the rate
  • Spanish: darse prisa — to speed up the rate
  • Spanish: apurarse — to speed up the rate
  • Spanish: apremiarse — to speed up the rate
  • Swedish: skynda på — to speed up the rate
  • Tagalog: bilisan — to speed up the rate
  • Thai: เร่ง (rêng) — to speed up the rate
  • Turkish: ivmek — to speed up the rate
  • Ottoman Turkish: ایومك (ivmek) — to speed up the rate
  • Vietnamese: mau lên — to speed up the rate
  • Vietnamese: nhanh lên — to speed up the rate
  • Vietnamese: vội lên — to speed up the rate
Real reading context

hurry in complete knowledge articles