Meaning & use
in my haste
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Because I was rushing and not paying attention, used when explaining a mistake I made.
Grammar: Acts as an adverbial phrase at the start of a sentence or after the subject; it is followed by a clause or by 'to' + verb.
Patterns
- in my haste to do something
- in my haste, I did something
- in my haste, something happened
In my haste to catch the train, I left my phone on the kitchen table.
In my haste, I sent the email before I had checked the figures.
She knocked over the glass in her haste to answer the door.
phrasefixed phrase
Used to say that someone did something too quickly and carelessly, often with a bad result.
Grammar: Can be used about other people by changing the possessive: 'in his haste', 'in their haste'.
Patterns
- in his haste
- in her haste
- in their haste
In his haste, he signed the contract without reading the small print.
The driver, in her haste, turned into the wrong street.
In their haste to finish, the team missed two important details.
Common combinations
- in my haste to leave
- In my haste to leave, I forgot to lock the back door.
- in my haste, I forgot
- In my haste, I forgot to wish her a happy birthday.
- in my haste to reply
- In my haste to reply, I hit send before finishing the sentence.
- in my haste to get there
- In my haste to get there on time, I took the wrong bus.
- knock something over in my haste
- I knocked over the coffee in my haste to grab the phone.
- in my haste, I made a mistake
- In my haste, I made a mistake on the order form.
Synonyms and how they differ
- in a rush
- Describes the state of hurrying; it does not by itself suggest that a mistake followed, so it is less apologetic than 'in my haste'.
- carelessly
- Focuses on the lack of care rather than the speed; 'in my haste' explains why the carelessness happened.
- without thinking
- Stresses the absence of thought; 'in my haste' adds the idea of being short of time.
Opposites
Commonly confused: in my haste or haste? in my haste or hasty?
in my haste vs haste
'Haste' is the noun meaning 'hurry'; 'in my haste' is the whole fixed phrase. Do not say 'in my hasten' — the verb is 'hasten'.
in my haste vs hasty
'Hasty' is an adjective describing an action done too quickly ('a hasty decision'); 'in my haste' is an adverbial phrase explaining a mistake.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'in my haste' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'In my haste' introduces the reason for a mistake, so 'I forgot to attach the file' fits perfectly. Option 2 has no mistake or rushing, option 3 uses the wrong pattern ('in my haste of'), and option 4 wrongly uses 'haste' as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “in my haste”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.