Meaning & use
haring
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“haring” is a form of “hare”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitive
Running or moving very quickly, often in a wild or careless way.
Grammar: No object; often used with 'around' or 'off': They were haring around the playground.
Patterns
- hare around
- hare off
- hare down/along something
The children were haring around the garden, laughing and shouting.
He came haring down the street on his bike, almost hitting a pedestrian.
She hated haring off to meetings without time to prepare.
Word forms
| third person singular | hares |
|---|---|
| past tense | hared |
| past participle | hared |
| present participle | haring |
Common combinations
- haring around
- The kids were haring around the house, full of energy.
- haring off
- She was always haring off to some party or other.
- come haring
- He came haring into the room with the news.
- go haring
- They went haring down the hill on their bikes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dashing
- Suggests a quick, stylish movement, often for a short distance; 'haring' is more frantic and uncontrolled.
- racing
- Implies competing or moving at top speed; 'haring' is less organized and more playful.
- rushing
- Focuses on speed due to urgency; 'haring' can be just for fun or excitement.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: haring or herring? haring or hearing?
haring vs herring
A herring is a small fish; 'haring' is about running fast. They sound similar but are completely different.
haring vs hearing
Hearing is the ability to perceive sound or an official meeting; 'haring' is the -ing form of the verb 'hare'.
Practice
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: The dog was _____ around the park, chasing squirrels.
Choose one answer.
'Haring' is the -ing form of the verb 'hare', meaning running fast, which fits the continuous action. 'Herring' is a fish, 'hearing' is about sound, and 'hare' is the base form, which would not fit after 'was'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “haring”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.