The Adverb of Hasty: Hastily
The adverb of hasty is hastily.
How hastily is formed
Consonant plus -y: change the y to i and add -ly. hasty → hasti + ly = hastily.
Same rule as greedy → greedily and heavy → heavily.
Hastily in a sentence
| The statement was hastily withdrawn. | Quickly, and with the suggestion it should not have been issued. |
| He hastily added that no decision had been made. | Correcting himself before being misunderstood. |
| A hastily assembled committee met that evening. | Put together in a hurry, so probably imperfect. |
Where it is actually used
Knowing the form is one thing; knowing the company a word keeps is what makes it sound natural. These are the patterns hastily appears in most often.
| hastily arranged / assembled / convened | Almost a fixed pattern in news writing. |
| hastily written / drafted | Implies the text has faults. |
| hastily added / explained | A speaker heading off a misunderstanding. |
Hastily or something else?
Several adverbs sit close to hastily, and the difference is usually meaning rather than formality.
| quickly | Neutral. It says nothing about whether the speed caused a problem. |
| hurriedly | Very close, but slightly less critical. Hurriedly is about pressure of time; hastily hints at carelessness. |
| rashly | About poor judgement rather than speed. A decision can be rash without being fast. |
The mistake to watch for
| Incorrect | Correct |
| hastyly | hastily |
The y becomes i. Note the noun keeps its own spelling: haste, not hasty, is the root.
Related forms
Pronunciation: HAY-sti-lee, three syllables.
| Adjective | hasty |
| Adverb | hastily |
| Noun | haste |
| Verb | hasten |
Practice
Fill the gap, then check yourself.
- The bridge was ___ repaired and failed a week later.
- She ___ finished her coffee and left for the train.
- He ___ invested his savings without reading the terms.
Answers: 1. hastily 2. hurriedly / quickly 3. rashly
Frequently asked
Does hastily always imply a mistake?
Not always, but it usually implies the possibility of one. If you simply mean fast, quickly is the safer word.
