quick

[ kwik ]

/ kwɪk /

adjective, quick·er, quick·est.

done, proceeding, or occurring with promptness or rapidity, as an action, process, etc.; prompt; immediate: a quick response.

that is over or completed within a short interval of time: a quick shower.

moving, or able to move, with speed: a quick fox; a quick train.

swift or rapid, as motion: a quick flick of the wrist.

easily provoked or excited; hasty: a quick temper.

keenly responsive; lively; acute: a quick wit.

acting with swiftness or rapidity: a quick worker.

prompt or swift to do something: quick to respond.

prompt to perceive; sensitive: a quick eye.

prompt to understand, learn, etc.; of ready intelligence: a quick student.

(of a bend or curve) sharp: a quick bend in the road.

consisting of living plants: a quick pot of flowers.

brisk, as fire, flames, heat, etc.

Archaic.

endowed with life.
having a high degree of vigor, energy, or activity.

noun

living persons: the quick and the dead.

the tender, sensitive flesh of the living body, especially that under the nails: nails bitten down to the quick.

the vital or most important part.

Chiefly British.

a line of shrubs or plants, especially of hawthorn, forming a hedge.
a single shrub or plant in such a hedge.

adverb, quick·er, quick·est.

quickly.

Idioms for quick

cut to the quick, to injure deeply; hurt the feelings of: Their callous treatment cut her to the quick.

Origin of quick

before 900; Middle English quik lively, moving, swift; Old English cwic, cwicu living; cognate with Old Saxon quik, German queck, keck, Old Norse kvikr; akin to Latin vīvus living (see vital), Sanskrit jivas living, Greek bíos life (see bio-), zoḗ animal life (see zoo-)

SYNONYMS FOR quick

1 fleet, expeditious. Quick, fast, swift, rapid describe speedy tempo. Quick applies particularly to something practically instantaneous, an action or reaction, perhaps, of very brief duration: to give a quick look around; to take a quick walk. Fast and swift refer to actions, movements, etc., that continue for a time, and usually to those that are uninterrupted; when used of communication, transportation, and the like, they suggest a definite goal and a continuous trip. Swift, the more formal word, suggests the greater speed: a fast train; a swift message. Rapid, less speedy than the others, applies to a rate of movement or action, and usually to a series of actions or movements, related or unrelated: rapid calculation; a rapid walker.

5 abrupt, curt, short, precipitate.

7 nimble, agile, brisk.

10 See sharp.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR quick ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR quick

1, 10 slow.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR quick ON THESAURUS.COM

usage note for quick

The difference between the adverbial forms quick and quickly is frequently stylistic. Quick is more often used in short spoken sentences, especially imperative ones: Come quick! The chimney is on fire. Quickly is the usual form in writing, both in the preverb position ( We quickly realized that attempts to negotiate would be futile ) and following verbs other than imperatives ( She turned quickly and left ). See also slow, sure.

OTHER WORDS FROM quick

quick·ness, noun un·quick, adjective un·quick·ly, adverb un·quick·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH quick

fast quick rapid swift (see synonym study at the current entry) quick quickly (see usage note at the current entry)

Words nearby quick

quiberon, quiche, quiche lorraine, quichua, quiché, quick, quick and the dead, quick as a wink, quick assets, quick bread, quick draw

Example sentences from the Web for quickness

“With so many more head cases, quickness is the key to survival and a productive life” after a devastating injury.

Pronounced Dead in Vietnam, Lt. Bill Haneke Inspires Post-9/11 Veterans |Sandra McElwaine |November 11, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
The Prophet rose and rushed at her; but Sarah, with the quickness of lightning, flew between them.

The Black Prophet: A Tale Of Irish Famine |William Carleton
In the quickness of the lightning's flash, the whole truth beamed into Eveline's soul.

Eveline Mandeville |Alvin Addison
Remember it is not size and strength that are of most importance, it is quickness and intelligence.

No Surrender! |G. A. Henty

Gomez flinched, but recovered his calm with a quickness that showed Walthew he had a dangerous antagonist.

The Coast of Adventure |Harold Bindloss
In spite of Maxwell's quickness, he had not reached the doorway when a man came out of it and advanced, smiling toward him.

The League of the Leopard |Harold Bindloss

British Dictionary definitions for quickness

quick

/ (kwɪk) /

adjective

(of an action, movement, etc) performed or occurring during a comparatively short time a quick move

lasting a comparatively short time; brief a quick flight

accomplishing something in a time that is shorter than normal a quick worker

characterized by rapidity of movement; swift or fast a quick walker

immediate or prompt a quick reply

(postpositive) eager or ready to perform (an action) quick to criticize

responsive to stimulation; perceptive or alert; lively a quick eye

eager or enthusiastic for learning a quick intelligence

easily excited or aroused a quick temper

skilfully swift or nimble in one's movements or actions; deft quick fingers

archaic

alive; living
(as noun) living people (esp in the phrase the quick and the dead)

archaic, or dialect lively or eager a quick dog

(of a fire) burning briskly

composed of living plants a quick hedge

dialect (of sand) lacking firmness through being wet

quick with child archaic pregnant, esp being in an advanced state of pregnancy, when the movements of the fetus can be felt

noun

any area of living flesh that is highly sensitive to pain or touch, esp that under a toenail or fingernail or around a healing wound

the vital or most important part (of a thing)

short for quickset (def. 1)

cut someone to the quick to hurt someone's feelings deeply; offend gravely

adverb informal

in a rapid or speedy manner; swiftly

soon I hope he comes quick

interjection

a command requiring the hearer to perform an action immediately or in as short a time as possible

Derived forms of quick

quickly, adverb quickness, noun

Word Origin for quick

Old English cwicu living; related to Old Saxon quik, Old High German queck, Old Norse kvikr alive, Latin vīvus alive, Greek bios life

Medical definitions for quickness

quick

[ kwĭk ]

n.

Sensitive or raw exposed flesh, as under the fingernails.

adj.

Pregnant.

Alive.

Idioms and Phrases with quickness

quick

In addition to the idioms beginning with quick

quick and the dead
quick as a wink
quick off the mark
quick one, a
quick on the draw
quick on the uptake

also see:

cut to the quick
(quick) on the uptake

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

quick

adjective, quick·er, quick·est.

noun

adverb, quick·er, quick·est.

Idioms for quick

Origin of quick

SYNONYMS FOR quick

ANTONYMS FOR quick

usage note for quick

OTHER WORDS FROM quick

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH quick

Words nearby quick

Example sentences from the Web for quickness

British Dictionary definitions for quickness

adjective

noun

adverb informal

interjection

Derived forms of quick

Word Origin for quick

Medical definitions for quickness

n.

adj.

Idioms and Phrases with quickness

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

quick

adjective, quick·er, quick·est.

noun

adverb, quick·er, quick·est.

Idioms for quick

Origin of quick

SYNONYMS FOR quick

ANTONYMS FOR quick

usage note for quick

OTHER WORDS FROM quick

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH quick

Words nearby quick

Words related to quickness

Example sentences from the Web for quickness

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for quickness

adjective

noun

adverb informal

interjection

Derived forms of quick

Word Origin for quick

Medical definitions for quickness

n.

adj.

Idioms and Phrases with quickness

British Dictionary definitions for quickness