unhurried

unhurried — adjective

1. done or carried out in a relaxed way, without rushing or feeling pressured to fi

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

done or carried out in a relaxed way, without rushing or feeling pressured to finish quickly

Example

Eric took an unhurried walk through the park on a sunny Sunday morning.

collocation: unhurried walk

Apinya's unhurried approach to cooking made the meal more enjoyable for everyone.

collocation: unhurried approach

Common collocations
  • unhurried pace
  • unhurried walk
  • unhurried approach
  • unhurried manner
  • unhurried lifestyle
Synonyms
  • leisurely

    emphasises enjoyment of free time; unhurried focuses on the absence of rush

  • relaxed

    broader in meaning; can describe a person's emotional state rather than pace or manner

  • calm

    emphasises inner serenity and emotional state; unhurried describes the speed or pace of an action

Antonyms
  • hurried

    opposite in all contexts; suggests rushing or pressure to finish

  • rushed

    more informal; suggests doing something too fast due to time pressure

Grammar Patterns

unhurried + noun

be + unhurried

Usage Note

Often used before nouns describing movement (walk, pace), activities (breakfast, conversation), or a person's general manner (approach, tone, style). Can also follow a linking verb: 'The morning was unhurried.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe an absence of speed or pressure, but with different emphases. Unhurried focuses specifically on the pace of an action — the person is not rushing, but may still be working efficiently. Leisurely adds enjoyment of free time as a core element; a leisurely meal suggests savouring the experience, not just moving slowly. Relaxed is broader, covering emotional calmness as well as pacing — a relaxed person may act quickly without feeling stressed. Calm centres on inner tranquility and composure, not on speed at all. Use unhurried when the key point is the absence of hurry: 'an unhurried conversation' suggests no one is watching the clock. Use leisurely when the focus is pleasure: 'a leisurely stroll along the beach.' Use relaxed for a general state of ease, and calm for emotional steadiness.

unhurried ↗leisurelyrelaxed ↗calm ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • pleasantly unhurried
  • deliberately unhurried

Phrases

  • in an unhurried way
  • at an unhurried pace

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the prefix un- (meaning 'not') to hurried, the past participle of hurry. The verb hurry first appeared in Middle English around the 1500s, probably originating as an imitation of rushing movement (an onomatopoeic formation). By the 1700s, hurried was used as an adjective meaning 'done in a rush,' and unhurried emerged shortly afterward as its opposite.