haste, hurry, speed, expedition, dispatch mean quickness in movement or action. haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.

In spite of all their haste, they didn’t have time to finish. Officials acted in haste (= too quickly), without understanding the situation.

Haste is the quality of doing something quickly, sometimes too quickly so that you are careless and make mistakes. In their haste to escape the rising water, they dropped some expensive equipment. …

haste (heɪst) n. 1. swiftness of motion; speed. 2. unnecessarily quick action; thoughtless, rash, or undue speed: Haste makes waste. 3. urgent need of quick action; a hurry.

They felt the need for haste. urgent need of quick action; a hurry or rush: to be in haste to get ahead in the world. unnecessarily quick action; thoughtless, rash, or undue speed: Haste makes waste. …

Feb 15, 2026 · Noun haste (usually uncountable, plural hastes) Speed; swiftness; dispatch. We were running late so we finished our meal in haste.

What does haste mean? Haste most commonly refers to urgency, such as in completing a task.It can also be used as another word for speed or swiftness, as in We have to move with haste if we want to …

haste meaning, definition, what is haste: great speed in doing something, especial...: Learn more.

He left in haste [= hurriedly, in a hurry], so I didn't get a chance to talk to him. She sent the letter in haste and later regretted it. In their haste to leave for the airport, they forgot their passports.

Definition of haste noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.