Hurry

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hurry

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

verb and noun

Pronunciation

HUR-ee  /ˈhʌri/

Definition

As a verb: to move or act with great haste; to cause someone or something to move or act more quickly. As a noun: a state of urgency or the need to move quickly; great haste.

Plain meaning

To hurry means to move or do something quickly because you don't have much time. If you're late, you hurry. In a hurry means under time pressure. You can hurry someone up (urge them to go faster) or hurry through a task (do it fast). There's no hurry means there is no need to rush.

Register

Neutral and everyday. Hurry is used across all registers. There's no hurry is polite and reassuring. Hurry up is colloquial and direct. In a hurry is neutral. The noun form is slightly more formal than the verb.