Advertisement

hurry (v.)

1590s, transitive and intransitive, first recorded in Shakespeare, who used it often; perhaps a variant of harry (v.), or perhaps a West Midlands sense of Middle English hurren "to vibrate rapidly, buzz" (of insects), from Proto-Germanic *hurza "to move with haste" (source also of Middle High German hurren "to whir, move fast," Old Swedish hurra "to whirl round"), which also perhaps is the root of hurl (v.). To hurry up "make haste" is from 1890. Related: hurried; hurrying.

hurry (n.)

c. 1600, "commotion, agitation," probably from hurry (v.). Meaning "undue haste" is from 1690s. In a hurry "in haste, under pressure" is from 1700.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of hurry from WordNet
1
hurry (v.)
move very fast;
Synonyms: travel rapidly / speed / zip
hurry (v.)
act or move at high speed;
hurry--it's late!
Synonyms: rush / hasten / look sharp / festinate
hurry (v.)
urge to an unnatural speed;
Synonyms: rush
2
hurry (n.)
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry;
in a hurry to lock the door
Synonyms: haste
hurry (n.)
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness);
Synonyms: haste / hastiness / hurriedness / precipitation
hurry (n.)
the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner;
Synonyms: haste / rush / rushing
From wordnet.princeton.edu