hasten
verb/ˈheɪ.sn̩/
Etymology Originally intransitive, from haste + -en (verbal suffix).
1
To move or act in a quick fashion.
2
To make someone speed up or make something happen quicker.
- I would hasten my escape from the windy storm.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 55:8:
- Hamlet: Bid the players make haste. Will you two help to hasten them?c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
1 more example
- A dearth of signalmen and the high cost of labour is hastening an elimination process that already was well under way before the second world war.1956 May, C. H. Betts, “St. Pancras Tunnel Signalbox”, in Railway Magazine, page 320:
3
To cause some scheduled event to happen earlier.
- The decision to hasten completion of the electrification of London Midland Region main lines from Euston to the north and the subsequent diversion of some traffic to the Western Region in order to allow the engineers fuller track occupation, have focused attention on the two main routes between London, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 96:
- […]and prescribed policies and packages of military, economic and technical assistance to hasten their inevitable march toward development and modernity.2008, Bradley Simpson, Economists with Guns, page 7:
- Derived terms
- hastener, outhasten, overhasten, overhastened, unhastened, unhastening
- Related terms
- haste