hurry

From Middle English horien (“to rush, impel”), probably a variation of hurren (“to vibrate rapidly, buzz”), from Proto-Germanic *hurzaną (“to rush”) (compare Middle High German hurren (“to hasten”), Norwegian hurre (“to whirl around”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run”) (compare Latin currō (“I run”), Tocharian A kursär/Tocharian B kwarsär (“league; course”)). Related to hurr, horse, rush.

Alternative etymology derives hurry as a variant of harry, which see.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhʌɹ.i/

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• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhʌɹ.i/ (accents without the hurry–furry merger)

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhɝ.i/ (accents with the hurry–furry merger)

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• Rhymes: -ʌɹi

hurry (countable and uncountable, plural hurries)

1. Rushed action.

   Why are you in such a big hurry?

   • 1762, Charles Johnstone, The Reverie; or, A Flight to the Paradise of Fools‎, volume 2, Dublin: Printed by Dillon Chamberlaine, →OCLC, page 202:

     At length, one night, when the company by ſome accident broke up much ſooner than ordinary, ſo that the candles were not half burnt out, ſhe was not able to reſiſt the temptation, but reſolved to have them ſome way or other. Accordingly, as ſoon as the hurry was over, and the ſervants, as ſhe thought, all gone to ſleep, ſhe ſtole out of her bed, and went down ſtairs, naked to her ſhift as ſhe was, with a deſign to ſteal them […]

2. Urgency.

   There is no hurry on that paperwork.

3. (American football) an incidence of a defensive player forcing the quarterback to act faster than the quarterback was prepared to, resulting in a failed offensive play.
   • 2020 April 24, Ken Belson, Ben Shpigel, “Full Round 1 2020 N.F.L. Picks and Analysis”, in New York Time‎:

     At Alabama, Jedrick Wills Jr. anchored the right side of the offensive line for two years, allowing only one sack and three-and-a-half quarterback hurries on 714 snaps last season.

4. (music) A tremolando passage for violins, etc., accompanying an exciting situation.

hurry (third-person singular simple present hurries, present participle hurrying, simple past and past participle hurried)

1. (intransitive) To do things quickly.

   He's hurrying because he's late.

   • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC:

     There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy. […] Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.

2. (intransitive) Often with up, to speed up the rate of doing something.

   If you don't hurry (up) you won't finish on time.

3. (transitive) To cause to be done quickly.
4. (transitive) To hasten; to impel to greater speed; to urge on.
   • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727, →OCLC:

     the rapid Stream presently draws him in , carries him away , and hurries him down violently.

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

     They hurried him aboard a bark.

5. (transitive) To impel to precipitate or thoughtless action; to urge to confused or irregular activity.
   • c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     And wild amazement hurries up and down / The little number of your doubtful friends.

6. (mining) To put: to convey coal in the mine, e.g. from the working to the tramway.
   • 1842, The Condition and Treatment of the Children Employed in the Mines, page 45:

     Elizabeth Day, aged seventeen […] "I have been nearly nine years in the pit. I trapped for two years when I first went, and have hurried ever since. I have hurried for my father until a year ago. I have to help to riddle and fill, […]

• See also Thesaurus:rush