• Hurry

    Pronunciation

    Origin

    Middle English horyed ("rushed, impelled"), frequentative of hurren ("to vibrate rapidly, buzz"), from Proto-Germanic *hurzaną ("to rush") (compare Middle High German hurren ("to hasten"), Norwegian hurre ("to whirl around")), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers-, *ḱors- ("to run, hurry") (compare Welsh carrog ("torrent"), Latin currō ("I run"), Tocharian A/B kursär/kwärsar ("league; course"), Lithuanian karsiù ("to go quickly")). Related to horse, rush.

    Full definition of hurry

    Noun

    hurry

    (countable and uncountable; plural hurrys)
    1. Rushed action.
      Why are you in such a big hurry?
    2. Urgency.
      There is no hurry on that paperwork.
    3. (sports) In American football, an incidence of a defensive player forcing the quarterback to act faster than the quarterback was prepared to, resulting in a failed offensive play.

    Derived terms

    Verb

    1. (intransitive) To do things quickly.
      • 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 19, When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.
    2. He's hurrying because he's late.
    3. (intransitive) Often with up, to speed up the rate of doing something.
      If you don't hurry you won't finish on time.
    4. (transitive) To cause to be done quickly.
    5. (transitive) To hasten; to impel to greater speed; to urge on.
      • SouthImpetuous lust hurries him on.
      • ShakespeareThey hurried him aboard a bark.
    6. (transitive) To impel to precipitate or thoughtless action; to urge to confused or irregular activity.
      • ShakespeareAnd wild amazement hurries up and down
        The little number of your doubtful friends.

    Synonyms

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