hurriedly

hurriedly — adverb

1. done with speed because you have little time available, often so that the result

1.adverbB1
Definition

done with speed because you have little time available, often so that the result is less careful or complete than it should be

Example

Rohan hurriedly stuffed his books into his backpack before the bell rang.

collocation: hurriedly stuffed / hurriedly packed

The note was hurriedly scribbled on a napkin, making it almost impossible to read.

passive: was hurriedly scribbled

Common collocations
  • hurriedly pack
  • hurriedly write
  • hurriedly leave
  • hurriedly prepare
  • hurriedly eat
Synonyms
  • hastily

    more negative than 'hurriedly', often suggesting poor planning or carelessness

  • quickly

    more neutral — focuses on speed without judging the result

  • speedily

    more formal or literary; emphasises efficiency more than rush

Antonyms
  • slowly

    the opposite in terms of pace, without the implication of carelessness

  • carefully

    contrasts in quality — careful work takes time and attention

  • leisurely

    suggests taking one's time without pressure

Usage Note

Often implies that the speed of an action caused a lower-quality result. Compare with 'quickly', which does not carry this negative implication.

Common Mistakes

She hurriedly rushed to the station.
She rushed to the station.
'hurriedly' is redundant when used with 'rush' because 'rush' already describes a fast, hurried action.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe doing something fast, but they differ in tone and connotation. 'Quickly' is the most neutral and common — it simply reports speed without judging the quality ('Theo quickly solved the puzzle'). 'Hastily' carries a stronger negative tone, suggesting that something was done too fast without enough thought ('The report was hastily assembled and full of errors'). 'Hurriedly' falls between the two — it implies the person was under time pressure and may have sacrificed care, but it feels less harsh than 'hastily'. 'Speedily' is more formal and often positive, focusing on efficiency ('The ambulance arrived speedily'). 'Rapidly' is best for describing processes or changes over time rather than individual human actions ('The city's population grew rapidly'). For everyday speech about a rushed person, use 'hurriedly' or 'quickly'; for a critical tone, use 'hastily'.

quickly ↗hastilyspeedilyrapidly ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • too hurriedly
  • so hurriedly
  • very hurriedly

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The adverb 'hurriedly' is formed from the adjective 'hurried' and the common adverb suffix '-ly'. The verb 'hurry' first appeared in English in the late 1500s, possibly coming from an older word that meant 'to attack or disturb'. Over time its meaning softened from 'harry' (to harass) to 'move or act with speed'. By the 1600s, 'hurry' was being used for rushing through tasks, and the adjective 'hurried' and adverb 'hurriedly' soon followed.