hastily

Meanings

1. 1adverbnot comparable

   In a rushed way, with too little time or care, so that mistakes or poor results are likely.

   Grammar: Goes before or after a verb: hastily packed, left hastily. Often modifies a past participle: a hastily written note.

   Patterns

   • hastily written
   • act hastily

   He hastily packed his bag and ran for the train.

   The report was hastily written and full of errors.

   She hastily apologized before leaving the room.

2. 2adverbnot comparable

   Without thinking enough before making a decision or taking action.

   Grammar: Often follows a verb of acting or deciding and is used with not or never in advice: do not decide hastily.

   Patterns

   • decide hastily
   • speak hastily

   Do not judge hastily before hearing the whole story.

   The council hastily approved the plan without reading it.

   He regretted answering so hastily.

Common combinations

hastily arranged

The meeting was hastily arranged.

hastily written

A hastily written message can cause confusion.

act hastily

It is unwise to act hastily in a crisis.

hastily assembled

The stage was hastily assembled before the show.

leave hastily

The guests left hastily when the storm began.

Synonyms and how they differ

hurriedly

Hurriedly just describes speed, while hastily hints that care was sacrificed.

rashly

Rashly stresses foolish risk and lack of thought about consequences more than speed.

quickly

Quickly is neutral and does not suggest a poor result.

impulsively

Impulsively emphasizes acting on a sudden urge rather than being short of time.

Opposites

Word family

haste noun

great speed, often with too little care

hasty adjective

done too quickly

hasten verb

to hurry or speed something up

hastiness noun

the quality of being rushed

Commonly confused: hastily or hasty?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hastily”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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