scurry

scurry — verb

1. to move forward with quick, light steps, especially because you are in a hurry o

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to move forward with quick, light steps, especially because you are in a hurry or want to reach a place without delay.

Example

A mouse scurried across the kitchen floor when Trang turned on the light.

scurry across [surface]

The children scurried around the garden, collecting colourful autumn leaves for their project.

scurry around [place]

Common collocations
  • scurry across
  • scurry around
  • scurry back
  • scurry off
  • scurry through
  • scurry along
  • scurry away
Synonyms
  • scamper

    more playful and carefree, often used for children or animals at play

  • dash

    faster and more direct, suggesting a single burst of speed rather than many small steps

  • hustle

    emphasises energetic and purposeful movement, often with a sense of pushing or forcing one's way

Antonyms
  • stroll

    suggests slow, relaxed walking with no sense of hurry

  • amble

    a leisurely, unhurried walk

Grammar Patterns

scurry + adverb/preposition (across, around, back, off, away)

Usage Note

This sense is most often used with a preposition or adverb that tells the direction of movement, such as across, around, back, off, through, or along. Common subjects include small animals and people who are in a noticeable hurry.

Common Mistakes

He scurried to the station in five minutes.
He scurried to the station, taking quick little steps to catch his train.
'scurry' emphasises short, light steps and urgency, not just speed over time.
The car scurried down the road.
The mouse scurried down the road.
'scurry' is not used for vehicles; it describes animate beings moving with quick, small steps.

2. to move around quickly in a nervous or disorganised way, especially when feeling

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to move around quickly in a nervous or disorganised way, especially when feeling worried, confused, or under pressure to get things done.

Example

Staff scurried around the office, trying to finish the report before the deadline.

scurry around [place] for agitated activity

Yara scurried from room to room, searching for her passport before the flight.

Common collocations
  • scurry about
  • scurry around
  • scurry between
  • scurry frantically
  • scurry nervously
  • scurry busily
Synonyms
  • bustle

    suggests noisy, energetic activity with a sense of purpose, often with many people involved

  • hustle

    stronger sense of pushing forward energetically, sometimes with impatience

  • scamper

    lighter and more playful, less anxious than this sense of scurry

Antonyms
  • linger

    to stay in a place longer than necessary, doing things slowly

  • loll about

    to relax or lie around doing nothing

Grammar Patterns

scurry + adverb (about, around, between) to show confused/nervous activity

Usage Note

This sense is particularly common in continuous forms (were scurrying, is scurrying) and often appears with adverbs like frantically, nervously, or busily. It usually describes scenes of controlled chaos — a busy kitchen, an office before a deadline, or a crowded market.

Common Mistakes

He scurried calmly to the door.
He scurried nervously to the door.
'scurry' in this sense implies agitation or anxiety, so it clashes with adverbs that suggest calmness.

scurry — noun

Word family

  • scurrying
    adjectiveB2
  • hurry-scurry
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe quick movement, but they differ in tone and context. Scurry emphasises short, light steps and a sense of urgency or slight nervousness — like a mouse scurrying across a floor or someone scurrying to a meeting. Scamper is more playful and carefree, often used for children or animals at play ('the puppy scampered across the lawn'). Hustle suggests energetic, determined movement with a pushy or impatient edge; it can also be transitive ('they hustled the children onto the bus'). Bustle describes busy, noisy activity involving many people, with a sense of purposeful energy rather than anxiety. In a sentence: 'The shoppers bustled through the market' (busy and purposeful), while 'the shoppers scurried through the market' suggests they were in a slightly anxious hurry. For a child playing, use scamper; for a workplace rush, use bustle; for determined forward movement, use hustle.

scamperhustle ↗bustle

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • scurry back and forth
  • scurry off to
  • scurry away from
  • scurry about

Prepositions

Etymology

English (hurry-scurry reduplication)English

First recorded in English around 1800, 'scurry' likely came from the phrase 'hurry-scurry', a rhyming reduplication that combined 'hurry' with an invented echo-word. The idea of quick, somewhat chaotic movement has been at the heart of its meaning ever since. By the early 1800s it was used both as a verb (to move hastily) and a noun (a scene of busy hurry).