hasten
- 01 C1 Advanced
to make something happen sooner or more quickly.
to accelerate the progress or occurrence of something. Transitive — requires an object.
Simple“The heavy rain will hasten the end of the outdoor festival.”
In context“Economists fear that the sudden rise in interest rates will hasten the onset of a recession by reducing consumer spending.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
to go somewhere or do something in a hurry.
to move or act with haste. Intransitive — often followed by an infinitive or a prepositional phrase.
Simple“She saw the time and hastened to the meeting room.”
In context“Upon hearing the news of the breakthrough, the researchers hastened to publish their findings before their competitors could do so.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
you use this when you want to add a comment quickly to avoid a misunderstanding.
used in the fixed phrase 'hasten to add' to immediately clarify a previous statement and prevent misinterpretation.
Simple“He said the project was difficult, but hastened to add that it was also very rewarding.”
In context“The CEO noted that the company was restructuring, though she hastened to add that no immediate job losses were expected.”
UsageAlmost always used in the construction 'hasten to add' or 'hasten to point out'.
“Demers is not here to answer for the foibles of previous attempts, or the circumstances that hastened multiple departures.”
“Not because of my animal magnetism, I hasten to add, but because they knew they could make me blush.”
Originally intransitive, from haste + -en (verbal suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.