hurry
gb/hˈɚi/ us/hˈɚi/
A2
English
~ 1000
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Move or act quickly
To move or do something quickly because you do not have much time.
Usage pattern:
to hurry [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hurry' with 'rush', but 'rush' can also mean to pressure someone, not just move quickly.
Synonyms
rush (Slightly more urgent or forceful than 'hurry'.)
Antonyms
dawdle (Means to move slowly without urgency.)
Collocations
hurry home
|hurry up
|hurry to finish
Themes
daily life
|time
|travel
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She hurried to catch the train.
- Please hurry or we’ll be late.
- He hurried down the stairs when he heard the phone ringing.
Learner examples
- I hurry to school every morning.
- Please hurry to the bus stop.
- She hurries home after work.
Verb
B1
action
2
Make someone act faster
To make someone do something more quickly.
Usage pattern:
to hurry [someone] [into doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense requires an object (someone to be hurried).
Synonyms
urge (Implies encouragement or pressure, not always about speed.)
Antonyms
delay (To make someone take more time instead of less.)
Collocations
hurry someone along
|hurry someone into a decision
Themes
daily life
|time
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The manager hurried the staff to finish the report.
- Don’t hurry me; I need time to think.
- She hurried the children into the car.
Learner examples
- He hurried me to finish my homework.
- Don’t hurry her, she is tired.
- The teacher hurried the class to leave.
Noun
A2
state
3
State of urgency and speed
The feeling or situation when you must do something fast.
Usage pattern:
in a hurry
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'in a hurry' with 'fast', but 'in a hurry' describes the situation, not speed alone.
Synonyms
rush (Often stronger in urgency than 'hurry'.)
Antonyms
leisure (A relaxed state without time pressure.)
Collocations
in a hurry
|no hurry
|what’s the hurry
Themes
daily life
|time
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I’m in a hurry to get to the airport.
- There’s no hurry; take your time.
- What’s the hurry? We have plenty of time.
Learner examples
- I am in a hurry.
- There is no hurry today.
- She is always in a hurry.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hurry
IPA
GB/hˈɚi/
US/hˈɚi/
Syllables & stress
hurry (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hurry)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hurry
- Plural: hurry
Verb
- Base: hurry
- 3rd Person Singular: hurries
- Present Participle: hurrying
- Past: hurried
Word family
Forms
hurries
verb
hurrying
verb
hurried
verb
Core family
hurriedly
adverb B1
Negative and opposite forms
unhurried
adjective
unhurriedly
adverb
Expressions
hurry up
1/hˈɚi ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Do something more quickly
To start moving or doing something faster.
Examples
- Hurry up, we’re going to miss the bus!
- You need to hurry up if you want to finish before lunch.
in a hurry
1/ˈɪn ə hˈɚi/
fixed phrase
Doing something with urgency
Doing something fast because you do not have much time.
Examples
- She left in a hurry after the meeting.
- I’m in a hurry, so I can’t talk now.
no hurry
1/nˈoʊ hˈɚi/
fixed phrase
No urgency needed
Used to say that there is no need to do something quickly.
Examples
- Take your time, there’s no hurry.
- You can send it tomorrow—no hurry.
what’s the hurry?
1/wˈʌts ðə hˈɚi ‖/
fixed phrase
Questioning the need for speed
Used to ask why someone is moving so fast when there is no need.
Examples
- What’s the hurry? We still have an hour before the movie starts.
- Slow down—what’s the hurry?