apresurar
“apresurar” means “to hasten” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to hasten, to speed up
Also: to accelerate
📝 In Action
Debemos apresurar el trámite para obtener el pasaporte.
B1We must speed up the process to get the passport.
Ella apresuró el paso cuando empezó a llover.
B2She quickened her pace when it started to rain.
El director decidió apresurar la fecha de lanzamiento.
C1The director decided to move up the launch date.
to hurry up, to rush
📝 In Action
Me apresuré para llegar a tiempo a la cita.
B1I hurried to arrive on time for the appointment.
No te apresures, todavía tenemos diez minutos.
B1Don't rush, we still have ten minutes.
Se apresuraron a salir del edificio.
B2They rushed to leave the building.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: apresurar
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'to quicken one's pace' using this word?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the prefix 'a-' (towards) combined with 'presura' (haste/urgency). 'Presura' itself comes from the Latin word 'pressura', meaning pressure.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'apresurarse' and 'darse prisa'?
They are almost identical in meaning. 'Darse prisa' is slightly more common in everyday spoken Spanish, while 'apresurarse' can sound a tiny bit more formal or literary.
Is 'apresurar' a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard rules for all verbs ending in -ar, so it is very easy to conjugate once you know the pattern.
Does 'apresurar' always mean something positive?
Not necessarily. While it can mean efficiency, it can also imply doing something too fast or carelessly (doing it 'apresuradamente').