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Meaning & use

scurried

verb·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈskʌrid/
US/ˈskɜːrid/

“scurried” is a form of “scurry”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. verbintransitive

    Moved fast with short, quick steps, usually because of fear, hurry or a need to hide.

    Grammar: No object; usually followed by a direction word: she scurried away.

    Patterns

    • scurried away
    • scurried across something
    • scurried to something

    The mouse scurried under the cupboard when the light came on.

    When the rain began, the shoppers scurried for shelter.

    The assistant scurried down the hall with a stack of papers.

  2. verbintransitivefigurative

    Hurried about busily to get many small jobs done, often in a nervous way.

    Grammar: No object; often followed by around or about: staff scurried around.

    Patterns

    • scurried around
    • scurried about

    The waiters scurried around setting tables before the guests arrived.

    Reporters scurried about the lobby, looking for a quote.

    Before the inspection, the staff scurried to tidy every room.

Common combinations

scurried away
The crabs scurried away as we approached.
scurried off
The boy scurried off to find his shoes.
scurried for cover
People scurried for cover when the storm broke.
scurried around
The children scurried around the garden looking for eggs.
scurried across
A squirrel scurried across the lawn.

Synonyms and how they differ

scuttled
Scuttled is close but suggests a lower, crab-like or insect-like movement, often in fear.
hurried
Hurried is a general word for moving fast, while scurried implies small, quick steps.
scampered
Scampered is lighter and often playful, as with children or small animals.
dashed
Dashed means a quick run for a short distance, with longer strides than scurried.

Opposites

strolledambled

Word family

scurry verb
the base form, meaning to move with quick short steps
scurries verb
third person singular, or the plural noun for scurrying movements
scurrying verb
the -ing form
scurry noun
a hurried movement or the sound of it

Commonly confused: scurried or scurvy? scurried or scuttled?

scurried vs scurvy

Scurvy is a disease caused by lack of vitamin C, with no link to quick movement.

scurried vs scuttled

Scuttled can also mean deliberately sank a ship or ruined a plan, which scurried never means.

Practice

When the teacher walked in, the students ____ back to their seats.

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