HASTES Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'haste' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of haste are dispatch , expedition , hurry , and speed . While all these words mean "quickness in movement or action," haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness. // marry in haste

Q: How are the words 'expedition' and 'dispatch' related as synonyms of 'haste'?

Expedition and dispatch both imply speed and efficiency in handling affairs but expedition stresses ease or efficiency of performance and dispatch stresses promptness in concluding matters. // the case came to trial with expedition // paid bills with dispatch

Q: When could 'hurry' be used to replace 'haste'?

The words hurry and haste are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion. // in the hurry of departure she forgot her toothbrush

Q: When can 'speed' be used instead of 'haste'?

The words speed and haste can be used in similar contexts, but speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action. // exercises to increase your reading speed

haste

noun

ˈhāst

Definition of haste

as in speed

a high rate of movement or performance made haste to get there on time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hustle

excited and often showy or disorderly speed haste makes waste in her haste, she forgot her keys

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun haste contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of haste are dispatch, expedition, hurry, and speed. While all these words mean "quickness in movement or action," haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.

marry in haste

How are the words expedition and dispatch related as synonyms of haste?

Expedition and dispatch both imply speed and efficiency in handling affairs but expedition stresses ease or efficiency of performance and dispatch stresses promptness in concluding matters.

the case came to trial with expedition

paid bills with dispatch

When could hurry be used to replace haste?

The words hurry and haste are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion.

in the hurry of departure she forgot her toothbrush

When can speed be used instead of haste?

The words speed and haste can be used in similar contexts, but speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action.

exercises to increase your reading speed

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of haste Perhaps the clearest example of lessons learned from the Los Angeles fires was the haste with which local law enforcement worked to evacuate residents, Clemo said. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Utility deposits forgotten in the haste and hassle of an interstate move. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026 Payment only upon completion can lead to haste, which can generate confusion and mistakes. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 The person who conducted the overpainting probably did it with great haste, as a monument, which was destroyed right after the end of the war, is still visible. — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for haste

Recent Examples of Synonyms for haste

Noun

Lennon is electric, but technically Stone is Antioch’s speed back.

— Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
The rise lifted some components of the index into overbought territory, as measured by the relative strength index (RSI), a momentum indicator that tracks the speed and size of price changes.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of speed

Noun

In July, Sweetin opened up about her desire to leave the hustle and bustle of Hollywood nearly 40 years after landing her breakout role as Stephanie Tanner in the ABC sitcom Full House.

— Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Glenwood Springs is also just two and a half hours from the hustle and bustle of Denver.

— Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of hustle

Noun

Essentially a form of computational fluid dynamics, the simulation divides the flow passages into a very large number of tiny regions and calculates things such as velocity, pressure, turbulence, and temperature throughout the component.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
The curves ahead are posted at a third of my current speed, but the big Brembos scrub off velocity easily, and the Slingshot rails through corner after corner.

— William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of velocity

Noun

Traders still holding the contract faced the prospect of taking delivery of physical crude with little storage available, prompting a rush to sell.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
The Giants likely didn’t want to expose Jamison-Travis, a sixth-round pick this year, to the initial rush of waivers.

— Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of rush

Noun

In hurry-and-scurry mode, Katalyst built a robotic spacecraft called LINK, which launched on July 3 to meet up with Swift and haul it to a higher orbit.

— Leonard David, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026
No matter your hurry, overloading your washing machine will produce a headache of a different sort (and might even cost you more money).

— Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of hurry

Noun

Overall temperatures and precipitation will be below normal, but snowfall will be above normal, especially in the north.

— Mike Snider, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Extreme precipitation is increasingly falling on mountains as rain not snow, increasing the risks of landslides and soil erosion.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of precipitation

Browse Nearby Words

hassling

haste

hasten

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Haste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haste. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of haste

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