apresurar

Apresurar is a Spanish verb meaning to hasten, hurry up, or expedite something. It can refer to speeding up a process, a mechanism, or the progress of an action, as well as to urging someone to move more quickly.

The verb is transitive and commonly used with a direct object: por ejemplo, apresurar un trámite, un proceso, o un lanzamiento. It can also take a person as the indirect object when the sense is to urge or push someone to hurry: "apresurar a alguien para que llegue a tiempo." In its reflexive form, apresurarse, the meaning shifts to hurrying oneself: "Debes apresurarte si quieres llegar a tiempo." Both senses are standard in most Spanish varieties.

Usage notes: apresurar is widely understood across the Spanish-speaking world, though in some contexts it coexists with or is complemented by synonyms such as acelerar, agilizar, or precipitar, each with subtle connotations. Apresurar tends to carry a neutral or slightly formal tone, often in administrative, logistical, or professional contexts. The sense of urgency can be objective (a deadline, a schedule) or subjective (pressure to decide).

Conjugation overview: apresurar is a regular -ar verb. Present: yo apresuro, tú apresuras, él/ella/usted apresura, nosotros apresuramos, vosotros apresuráis, ellos/ellas/ustedes apresuran. Preterite: yo apresuré, tú apresuraste, él/ella/usted apresuró, nosotros apresuramos, vosotros apresurasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes apresuraron. Imperfect: apresuraba, apresurabas, apresuraba, etc. Gerund: apresurando; past participle: apresurado. Imperative: apresura (tú), apresure (usted), apresuren (ustedes).