haste
haste
Pronunciation
/heɪst/
h - /h/ (a voiceless puff of air, as in "hat")
a - /eɪ/ (the long 'a' sound, as in "ape" or "weigh")
ste - /st/ (the 's' sound immediately followed by the 't' sound, as in "stop"; the 'e' is silent)
Word Form Variations
Noun (singular): haste
Noun (uncountable): haste (This word is most commonly used as an uncountable mass noun, referring to the quality itself, e.g., "done in haste.")
Verb (base): haste (This form is archaic or poetic; "hasten" is the modern standard.)
Verb (past): hasted (Archaic/poetic)
Verb (present participle): hasting (Archaic/poetic)
Adjective: hasty
Adverb: hastily
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition: Excessive speed or quickness in action, often implying carelessness or a lack of thorough thought. 🏃♂️
Synonyms: rush, hurry, speed, swiftness, urgency, dispatch, precipitousness
Antonyms: slowness, delay, caution, care, deliberation, patience
Verb (Archaic/Poetic)
Definition: To move or act with great speed; to hurry or rush.
Synonyms: hurry, rush, hasten, speed, dash, tear
Antonyms: linger, dawdle, delay, wait, creep
Examples of Use
In Books and Literature
As a famous proverb: The most common appearance is in the proverb, "Haste makes waste," warning that rushing often leads to poor results or mistakes that cost more time in the end.
In classic literature: In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the character Treebeard frequently advises against rushing, famously saying, "Don't be hasty," and "We must not be over-hasty."
In Newspapers and Journalism
Political or policy reporting: "Human rights experts warn that in its haste to expel or deter undocumented immigrants, the US government is scrimping on its obligation to provide asylum to those genuinely in peril in violation of international law." (The Guardian, October 2015)
Business news: "The committee concluded that the regulator, in its haste to approve the new aircraft, failed to properly scrutinize the automated systems."
In Online Publications
Tech commentary: "The company was criticized for the haste with which it rolled out the new feature, leading to significant bugs that frustrated its user base."
Cultural blogs: "In its haste to sort out the state's social studies curriculum standards... the State Board of Education tossed [the author] from a proposal for the third-grade section." (The Guardian, January 2010)
In Entertainment (Film)
In dialogue: A character in an action or adventure movie might urge their team forward by yelling, "We must make haste! There is no time to lose!" Conversely, a villain might mock a hero's sloppy, rushed attempt to stop them: "Your haste has been your undoing."
In General Public Discourse
In personal communication: "Apologies for any typos; I wrote this email in haste between meetings."
In everyday conversation: "He left his keys on the counter in his haste to get to work on time."
As a common warning: "Don't be in such a haste! Slow down, or you'll trip."
10 Famous Quotes Using Haste
Haste makes waste. (Proverb)
Marry in haste, repent at leisure. (Proverb, popularized by William Congreve)
Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste. (Benjamin Franklin)
Unreasonable haste is the direct road to error. (Molière)
Manners require time, and nothing is more vulgar than haste. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Truth is confirmed by inspection and delay; falsehood by haste and uncertainty. (Tacitus)
Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it. (Søren Kierkegaard)
Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them. (Proverbs 29:20, The Bible)
Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind. (Henri-Frédéric Amiel)
Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry. (John Wesley)
Etymology
The word "haste" traveled through a few languages before it got to English, and its original meaning was much more intense than just "speed."
The Germanic Root (Violence): The word's oldest ancestor is a Germanic (specifically, Frankish) word: haifst. This word didn't just mean "fast"; it meant "violence," "strife," or "zeal." You can see this connection in the related Old English word hæst, which meant "violent" or "vehement." The original idea connected speed with a kind of forceful, angry, or aggressive energy.
The French Connection (Speed): This Germanic word was picked up by the French, who softened it into the Old French word haste (which is hâte in modern French). By the time it was being used in French, the meaning had shifted away from "violence" and come to mean "urgency," "speed," or "hurrying."
Arrival in English (Urgency): English borrowed the word directly from the French around the 1300s. When it first appeared in Middle English, "haste" simply meant "speed," "swiftness," or "urgency." If you did something "in haste," it just meant you did it "quickly."
It was only a bit later, in the late 14th century, that "haste" started to pick up the negative meaning we often associate with it today: "unwise," "rash," or "careless speed." This is the meaning captured in the famous proverb, "Haste makes waste."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Haste
Phrases and Idioms Using "Haste"
Haste makes waste. (The most common idiom, meaning that rushing leads to mistakes.)
Make haste. (A command to hurry or go quickly; somewhat formal or archaic.)
Marry in haste, repent at leisure. (A proverb warning that impulsive marriages often lead to long-term regret.)
More haste, less speed. (A proverb meaning that trying to do something too quickly will actually slow you down.)
In haste (e.g., "The letter was written in haste.")
Post-haste (Meaning "with great speed" or "immediately.")
Act in haste
With undue haste (Implying a level of speed that is reckless or inappropriate.)
In his/her/their haste... (A common narrative phrase, e.g., "In his haste, he forgot his keys.")
Festina lente (A classical Latin adage meaning "make haste slowly.")
Idioms with Synonyms (Similar Effect)
Fools rush in (where angels fear to tread).
A rush job
At breakneck speed
In a tearing hurry
Like a bull in a china shop (Implies the destructive carelessness that often accompanies haste.)
(To do something) lickety-split
Look before you leap. (A warning against haste.)
Strike while the iron is hot. (An idiom that encourages speed and timely action, the positive side of haste.)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of haste from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
