Hurry is a common noun and verb meaning to move or act with haste or urgency, often implying a sense of pressing time. It conveys urgency in a situation or when telling someone to quicken their pace. In everyday usage, it can function as both a call to speed up and a description of rushed action.
"- We need to hurry if we want to catch the train."
"- The doctor arrived in a hurry, but reassured her patient."
"- Don’t hurry through your meal; take your time."
"- He spoke in a hurried voice, trying to fit in all the details before leaving."
Hurry traces to Middle English hurren, from Old French hurrer, a shortened form of accelerare. The word’s sense of urgency emerged in the 14th century as English speakers described swift movement or haste. Its form consolidated into the noun and verb Hurry with the general semantic field of moving quickly; it is likely influenced by related Germanic roots connoting speed and force. Over time, hurry broadened to figurative uses like ‘to hurry someone’ or ‘to hurry along a process,’ while the noun took on the everyday sense of urgency or a brief moment of rapid action. First known use in English appears in Middle English texts around the 13th–14th centuries, with the modern sense crystallizing during the Early Modern period as English vocabularies expanded to describe social tempo and time pressure. The word retains a direct, action-oriented connotation and is common across many dialects, with little semantic drift beyond nuances of urgency intensity in different contexts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Hurry" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Hurry" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Hurry"
-rry sounds
-ury sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Hurry is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈhʌr.i/ in most non-rhotic British and Australian varieties, and /ˈhɝ.i/ in General American. The first syllable carries the primary stress. Start with a short, relaxed 'h' followed by a lax, mid-back rounded vowel in UK/AU, or a rhotacized 'ɝ' in US; end with a clear 'ee' [i] vowel. Mouth positions: lips neutral to slightly rounded, tongue relaxed with the body raised toward the soft palate for the /ɝ/ or /ʌ/ depending on accent. Listen to natural speech and mimic the brief, clipped ending.”
Two common errors: (1) Over-articulating the second syllable, turning it into a long 'ee' or 'eeeee' sound; (2) Misplacing the first vowel: treating it as a pure /a/ or overly open /æ/. Realize the first vowel is lax and short: /ʌ/ (US) or /ʌ/ or /ʊ/ in some dialects, not /ɑ/ or /æ/. Correct by using a quick, short nucleus for the first syllable and a crisp, unstressed ending /ri/ with a light 'r' if rhotic. Practice with a 50–60 ms release for the /ɹ/ or the sonic absence of /r/ in non-rhotic accents.”
In US English, /ˈhɝ.i/ with rhotic /ɹ/ and a stressed first syllable; vowel height is mid-back, tongue bunched. In UK English, /ˈhʌr.i/ with non-rhoticity (no /r/ after vowels) and a shorter, closer first vowel; the ending /i/ remains. In Australian English, /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ or /ˈhʌ.ri/ depending on region, generally non-rhotic with a clearer final /i/ and a slightly greener vowel. Across all accents, the second syllable is unstressed and shorter. Practice a clean split between the two syllables, ensuring the first is the main focal point of the word’s energy.”
The challenge lies in the tense, clipped first vowel and the rapid transition to a short /ɹ/ or its absence in non-rhotic accents. US speakers must maintain a full, rhotacized nucleus /ɝ/ without over-stressing the /ɹ/; UK/AU speakers must avoid inserting a strong rhoticization after the vowel. The reduced, unstressed second syllable /i/ demands careful shortening. The word’s tempo is brisk, making exact vowel length and vowel quality crucial for intelligibility in connected speech.
The common hook is the phonemic cluster across a single syllable boundary and its contrast with the related verb form ‘hurry’ as a verb versus noun; although the term is usually a verb, many searchers miss the noun usage and its related phrases (in a hurry). The unique feature is the stressed first syllable with a rapid, short second syllable and the subtle vowel differences across accents. Focus on the two-syllable rhythm and the reduced second syllable to avoid mispronunciation.
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