Meaning & use
hurriedly
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Meaning
adverbnot comparable
In a rushed way, doing something fast because there is little time, often without much care.
Grammar: Describes how an action is done: she hurriedly packed, he spoke hurriedly.
Patterns
- hurriedly do something
She hurriedly gathered her papers and ran for the bus.
He hurriedly scribbled a note before leaving.
The children hurriedly hid the cake when they heard footsteps.
Common combinations
- hurriedly pack
- They hurriedly packed their bags when the storm warning came.
- hurriedly leave
- He hurriedly left the meeting after the phone call.
- hurriedly write
- She hurriedly wrote down the address on her hand.
- hurriedly arranged
- The wedding had been hurriedly arranged in a single week.
- hurriedly add
- Hurriedly adding some salt, he served the soup.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hastily
- Hastily suggests acting too quickly without thinking, so it focuses more on poor judgment than hurriedly does.
- quickly
- Quickly is neutral and can describe skilled speed, while hurriedly hints at time pressure and possible carelessness.
- rapidly
- Rapidly describes fast change or movement and rarely suggests panic or sloppiness the way hurriedly does.
- in a rush
- In a rush is a more casual phrase that stresses the pressure of time rather than the manner of the action.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: hurriedly or hurriedly vs. hurried?
hurriedly vs hurriedly vs. hurried
Hurried is an adjective (a hurried meal), while hurriedly is the adverb that describes a verb (she ate hurriedly).
Practice
Late for the train, Mia ___ stuffed her laptop into her bag.
Choose one answer.
Being late suggests a rushed action, so hurriedly fits. Carefully and calmly suggest the opposite, and leisurely means in a relaxed way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hurriedly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.