quick

adjective \ ˈkwik \

Updated on: 6 Dec 2017

Definition of quick

1 : not dead : living, alive

2 : acting or capable of acting with speed: such as

a (1) : fast in understanding, thinking, or learning : mentally agile

a quick wit

quick thinking

(2) : reacting to stimuli with speed and keen sensitivity

(3) : aroused immediately and intensely

quick tempers

b (1) : fast in development or occurrence

a quick succession of events

(2) : done or taking place with rapidity

gave them a quick look

c : marked by speed, readiness, or promptness of physical movement

walked with quick steps

d : inclined to hastiness (as in action or response)

quick to criticize

e : capable of being easily and speedily prepared

a quick and tasty dinner

3 a archaic : not stagnant : running, flowing

b : moving, shifting

quick mud

4 archaic : fiery, glowing

5 obsolete

a : pungent

b : caustic

6 archaic : pregnant

7 : having a sharp angle

a quick turn in the road

—

quickly

adverb

—

quickness

noun

See quick defined for English-language learners

See quick defined for kids

Examples of quick in a Sentence

They had a quick drink at the bar.
She took a quick shower.
She gave him a quick kiss.
You're back already? That was quick!
We made a quick decision, but it turned out to be a good one.
He got a quick reply to his inquiry.
His quick thinking allowed him to escape trouble.
Her friends admired her quick wit.
He walked with quick steps.
She has quick, agile hands.

Recent Examples of quick from the Web

Yes, as journalists and readers are quick to point out, DiCamillo has a knack for striking character names.

— jim higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Kate DiCamillo turns a doodle into a story of hope," 20 Oct. 2017
However, following Alcacer's brace Valverde was quick to praise his attacker, and understands how important his contribution was.

— SI.com, "Barcelona Boss Ernesto Valverde Insists Still Much Work to Be Done Following 2-1 Win Over Sevilla," 5 Nov. 2017
The sandwich makes its quick tour in the toaster oven and is delivered into my hands.

— rand richards cooper, courant.com, "In Our Midst: Banh Mi Fever," 30 Oct. 2017
With quick, responsive steering and a short wheelbase, the turning circle was tight for excellent urban maneuverability.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "BMW’s urban vehicle, i3, offers all-electric driving | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 28 Oct. 2017
Yes, Brissett needs to get the ball out quicker, rather than waiting for the optimum opportunity to deliver the ball.

— stephen holder, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Jacoby Brissett must share blame with Colts' offensive line for 10 sacks," 27 Oct. 2017
Fast-casual restaurants promise food that’s quick, cheap and delicious.

— sophia hollander, WSJ, "A Tasting Menu Tailored to Your Taste Buds," 19 Oct. 2017
For the most part, though, Mindhunter’s writing is quick, clever, and engrossing, whether the team is prying open a murderer’s head or getting chewed out by the F.B.I. brass.

— richard lawson, vanityfair.com, "Mindhunter Review: An Appealingly Repulsing Serial Killer Study," 17 Oct. 2017
For the most part, though, Mindhunter’s writing is quick, clever, and engrossing, whether the team is prying open a murderer’s head or getting chewed out by the F.B.I. brass.

— richard lawson, HWD, "Mindhunter Review: An Appealingly Repulsing Serial Killer Study," 17 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of quick

Middle English quik, from Old English cwic; akin to Old Norse kvikr living, Latin vivus living, vivere to live, Greek bios, zōē life

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

quick Synonyms

Synonyms

alacritous, alert, expeditious, prompt, ready, willing

Synonym Discussion of quick

quick, prompt, ready, apt mean able to respond without delay or hesitation or indicative of such ability. quick stresses instancy of response and is likely to connote native rather than acquired power.

- quick reflexes
- a keen quick mind

prompt is more likely to connote training and discipline that fits one for instant response.

- prompt emergency medical care

ready suggests facility or fluency in response.

- backed by a pair of ready assistants

apt stresses the possession of qualities (such as intelligence, a particular talent, or a strong bent) that makes quick effective response possible.

- an apt student
- her answer was apt and to the point

synonyms see in addition fast

quick

noun

Definition of quick

1 quick plural : living beings

[probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse kvika sensitive flesh, from kvikr living]

a : a painfully sensitive spot or area of flesh (such as that underlying a fingernail or toenail)

b : the inmost sensibilities

hurt to the quick by the remark

c : the very center of something : heart

3 archaic : life 11

See quick defined for English-language learners

Examples of quick in a Sentence

that nasty comment cut me to the quick

Recent Examples of quick from the Web

Everything’s happening so fast at D-tackle, where everything’s like a second quick.

— tim bielik, cleveland.com, "Dre'Mont Jones becoming OSU's prototypical defensive tackle, Robert Landers impacting with leverage: Ohio State football daily nuggets," 23 Aug. 2017
Senior Jordan Sherit is relentless off the edge, while 6-foot-3, 250-pound sophomore pass rusher Antonneous Clayton is long and cat-quick.

— edgar thompson, OrlandoSentinel.com, "College football rankings: Florida Gators," 7 Aug. 2017
More: Quick Bites: Burger Battle is on; new Avalon location; Tunnel Bar-B-Q gets state-side tribute Contact Susan Selasky at 313-222-6872 or [email protected].

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Burger Battle is today at Eastern Market," 25 June 2017
The lineup that broke out for six runs over the final four innings of Wednesday night’s game kept rolling, putting up four quick runs against Dodgers starter Yu Darvish, and sending him to the earliest shower of his major league career.

— jay jaffe, SI.com, "Astros Clobber Yu Darvish in Game 3 to Take World Series Lead, Stay Undefeated at Home," 28 Oct. 2017
Ben Simmons is pretty special even for a guy who can’t shoot, or guard lightning-quick and attacking point guards.

— keith pompey, Philly.com, "Five observations, 'best' and 'worst' awards from Sixers' victory over Detroit Pistons," 24 Oct. 2017
The Dallas store is a grab-and-go food, wine and spirits shop offering quick, free delivery.

— bud kennedy, star-telegram, "Is Pantego barbecue’s promised land? Ribs, brisket and now this big ‘Texan’," 27 Sep. 2017
Sophomore Jordan McConnell is another 5-foot-7 quick back who leads the team in rushing.

— scott springer, Cincinnati.com, "Sycamore gets favorable football computer ranking," 21 Sep. 2017
Roasting vegetables or other ingredients at the same time makes this meal quick to put together.

— addie broyles, charlotteobserver, "Forget the Shake ‘N Bake, it’s time for a pork chop revival," 7 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of quick

before 12th century

quick Synonyms

Synonyms

belly, blood, bone (s), bosom, breast, gut, heart, heartstrings, inner space, inside, core, soul

Related Words

conscience, mind

quick

adverb

Definition of quick

: in a quick manner

See quick defined for English-language learners

Examples of quick in a Sentence

a scheme to get rich quick
I got used to living with a roommate pretty quick.
I can't run any quicker.

Recent Examples of quick from the Web

Interestingly enough, as Amazon slashes Whole Foods prices, Costco’s expanded quick-delivery options also feature some lower prices than previously set on the website.

— lucinda shen, Fortune, "Costco's Newest Move to Beat Amazon and Whole Foods? Delivery," 6 Oct. 2017
Adding $5—or worse, $5 plus three percent—to every transaction adds up pretty quick.

— ryan craggs, CNT, "The Best Debit Card for International Travel," 20 Sep. 2017
As per usual, we were crunched for time, as most people are, so everything came pretty quick.

— zane warman, Billboard, "Bahamas Announce New Album 'Earthtones,' Share Charming New Track 'No Wrong': Exclusive," 26 Oct. 2017
Still, none of these choices are particularly quick.

— eric stafford, Car and Driver, "2018 Toyota Tacoma," 26 Oct. 2017
The wok gets real hot real quick, so once that's going, dinner will be on the table in an instant.

— emma wartzman, Bon Appetit, "4 Quick and Braise-y Recipes to Cook This Week," 1 Oct. 2017
The shot selection late in Milwaukee wasn’t so wise (Jeremy Lamb had one particularly quick long jumper).

— rick bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Fearless predictions: MKG will be back, and full of energy," 24 Oct. 2017
The move, part of a wider package of anti-terrorism measures, was anticipated and critics were quick to hit back.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Facebook and YouTube Face a Fresh Hate Speech Crackdown in the EU," 28 Sep. 2017
At guard, everything is right there and it’s real quick.

— stephen holder, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: More O-Line questions for Colts? What else is new?," 6 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of quick

14th century

quick Synonyms

Synonyms

apace, briskly, chop-chop, double-quick, fleetly, full tilt, hastily, hell-for-leather, hot, lickety-split, posthaste, presto, pronto, fast, quickly, rapidly, snappily, soon, speedily, swift, swiftly

Antonyms

slow, slowly

Related Words

immediately, promptly, readily; impetuously, impulsively, rashly, recklessly; abruptly, suddenly; energetically, vigorously

Near Antonyms

laggardly, lingeringly, ploddingly, sluggishly; deliberately, leisurely; belatedly, delinquently, tardily

QUICK Defined for English Language Learners

quick

adjective

Definition of quick for English Language Learners

: done or happening in a short amount of time
: fast in thinking, learning, or understanding
: fast in moving or reacting

quick

adverb

Definition of quick for English Language Learners

: in a fast or quick manner

QUICK Defined for Kids

quick

adjective \ ˈkwik \

Definition of quick for Students

quicker; quickest

1 : done or taking place in a very short period of time

a quick look

a quick nap

2 : very swift : speedy

quick steps

3 : fast in learning or understanding : mentally alert

a quick mind

4 : easily stirred up

a quick temper

—

quickly

adverb

I ate quickly.

—

quickness

noun

History for quick

The word quick first meant “alive.” Most animals that are alive can move and run, so quick came to mean “moving” or “running.” From this sense came the sense of quick that is most familiar today: “fast.” New senses have come from this common sense. Quick can mean “alert,” which is “fast in understanding,” or “reacting fast.”

Synonym Discussion of quick

quick, prompt, and ready mean able to respond right away. quick is used when the response is immediate and often when the ability is part of a person's nature.

- He has quick reflexes.

prompt is used when the ability to respond right away is the product of training and discipline.

- The store gives prompt service.

ready is used when the response comes easy or is smooth.

- He always had a ready answer to every question.

quick

noun

Definition of quick for Students

1 : a very tender area of flesh (as under a fingernail)

2 : someone's innermost feelings

She was hurt to the quick by the remark.

quick

adverb

Definition of quick for Students

quicker; quickest

: in a quick manner : fast Come quick!

Medical Dictionary

quick

adjective \ ˈkwik \

medical Definition of quick

1 : not dead : living, alive

2 : pregnant

quick

noun

medical Definition of quick

1 quick plural : living beings

2 : a painfully sensitive spot or area of flesh (as that underlying a fingernail)

Learn More about quick

See words that rhyme with quick Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for quick Spanish Central: Translation of quick Nglish: Translation of quick for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of quick for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quick

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quick

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