Hie

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /haɪ/

Definitions

1. To proceed quickly toward a location or aim while urging someone to act without delay or to insist on rapid advancement in any endeavor
2. To move rapidly toward a destination or goal, usually with urgency
3. To speed oneself or others along toward a place without delay

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "hie" is that its original sense was physical: the Old English "hīgian" meant to breathe hard, and by extension to strain or push onward, so hurrying was once something you did with your lungs. The Proto-Germanic root "*hīgōną" meant "to breathe, snort," and its relatives still carry that sense. Dutch "hijgen" means to pant, and German "heichen" means to choke or gasp for breath. Those cousins make the connection clear. Someone rushing to get somewhere is, quite literally, breathing heavily, and the word followed that image from the body to the movement that causes it. The same ancient root reaches further afield: Latin "cieō," meaning "set in motion," and Greek "kinéō," meaning "move," are distant relatives, though the link is a deep one that predates any of these languages. In Middle English the word appeared as "hien" and related spellings, and it kept its sense of eager, urgent haste. Its modern use survives mostly in literary or formal settings, where "to hie off" still means to leave quickly.

Synonyms: hasten, rush, speed, hurry

Antonyms: linger, delay, dawdle