Haste

n. [Ger., Dan., Sw., & O. Fries. hast, Icel. hastr, N. D. haast, O. D. haest, whence O. Fr. haste, N. Fr. hâte.]

1Sense 1. Celerity of motion; speed; swiftness; dispatch; expedition;—applied only to voluntary beings, as men and other animals.

The king's business required haste. 1 Sam. xxi. 8.

2Sense 2. The state of being urged or pressed by business; hurry; urgency; sudden excitement of feeling or passion; quickness; precipitate; vehemence.

I said in my haste, All men are liars. Ps. cxvi. 11.

Synonyms—Speed; quickness; nimbleness; swiftness; expedition; dispatch; hurry; precipitate; vehemence; precipitation.—HASTE, HURRY, SPEED, DISPATCH. Haste denotes quickness of action and a strong desire for getting on; hurry includes a confusion and want of collected thought not implied in haste; speed denotes the actual progress which is made; dispatch, the promptitude and rapidity with which things are done. A man may properly be in haste, but never in a hurry. Speed usually secures dispatch.

Our lines reformed, and not composed in haste, Polished like marble, would like marble last. Waller.

For whom all this haste Of midnight march and hurried meeting here. Milton.

Speed! to describe whose swiftness number fails. Milton.

So saying, with dispatchful looks, in haste She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent. Milton.

[imp. & p. p. HASTED, HASTENED; p. pr. & vb. n. HASTING, HASTENING.] [N. H. Ger. & M. H. Ger. hasten, D. haasten, Dan. haste, Sw. & Icel. hasta, O. Fr. haster, N. Fr. hâter. See supra.] To press; to drive or urge forward; to push on; to precipitate; to accelerate the movement of; to expedite; to hurry. “I'll haste the writer.” Shak.

I would hasten my escape from the windy storm. Ps. iv. 8.