Main Entry:

quick·en

Pronunciation:

\ˈkwi-kən\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

quick·ened; quick·en·ing \ˈkwi-kə-niŋ, ˈkwik-niŋ\

Date:

14th century

transitive verb1 a: to make alive : revive b: to cause to be enlivened : stimulate2archaic a: kindle b: to cause to burn more intensely3: to make more rapid : hasten, accelerate <quickened her steps>4 a: to make (a curve) sharper b: to make (a slope) steeperintransitive verb1: to quicken something2: to come to life ; especially : to enter into a phase of active growth and development <seeds quickening in the soil>3: to reach the stage of gestation at which fetal motion is felt4: to shine more brightly <watched the dawn quickening in the east>5: to become more rapid <her pulse quickened at the sight>

— quick·en·er \ˈkwi-kə-nər, ˈkwik-nər\ noun

synonyms quicken, animate, enliven, vivify mean to make alive or lively. quicken stresses a sudden renewal of life or activity especially in something inert <the arrival of spring quickens the earth>. animate emphasizes the imparting of motion or vitality to what is or might be mechanical or artificial <happiness animated his conversation>. enliven suggests a stimulus that arouses from dullness or torpidity <enlivened her lectures with humorous anecdotes>. vivify implies a freshening or energizing through renewal of vitality <new blood needed to vivify the dying club>.

synonyms see in addition provoke