1 A2 neutral
To move or act more quickly, especially when there is urgency.
"We need to hurry up or we'll miss the last train."
“
Hurry up and wait.
— Common U.S. military expression, widely cited
inseparable
hurry up
A2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To move, act, or do something more quickly; also used as an imperative urging someone to go faster.
In plain English
Go faster! Don't be so slow!
What does "hurry up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To tell or encourage someone else to go faster (imperative use).
"Hurry up, kids — breakfast is getting cold!"
“
Hurry up and get here.
— Common idiomatic expression widely used in everyday speech
inseparable
3 B1 informal
To cause something to happen or be completed more quickly.
"Can you hurry up the delivery? We need it today."
inseparable
Usage tip
Extremely common as a standalone imperative ('Hurry up!'). Can also be used with an object in the sense of rushing something along, though this is less frequent. Used across all English-speaking regions.
Words that pair with "hurry up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
please now already everyone before
How to conjugate "hurry up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hurry up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hurries up
he/she/it
Past simple
hurried up
yesterday
Past participle
hurried up
have + pp
-ing form
hurrying up
continuous
Hear "hurry up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hurry up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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