brisk

1 of 2

adjective

Synonyms of brisk
1
: keenly alert : lively
… a brisk old lady with no nonsense about her …Jean Stafford
2
a
: pleasingly tangy
brisk tea
b
: fresh, invigorating
a brisk autumn day
3
: sharp in tone or manner
was very brisk on the phone
4
a
: energetic, quick
took a brisk walk
at a brisk pace
b
: marked by much activity
business was brisk
briskly adverb
briskness noun

brisk

2 of 2

verb

brisked; brisking; brisks

transitive verb

: to make animated, energetic, or marked by much activity : to make brisk

intransitive verb

: to become brisk
usually used with up
business brisked up

Examples of brisk in a Sentence

Adjective She answered the phone in a brisk voice. They went for a brisk walk in the woods. She walked at a brisk pace. Business is brisk at the store. There is a brisk market in old movie posters.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The glacier carts and kiosks that dish out ice cream, soft serve and sorbets did brisk business all week. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 June 2026 Street vendors were doing a brisk business selling bottled water, hats and sun umbrellas. Kirsten Grieshaber, Fortune, 27 June 2026 The 10 tracks of Ton Up are at once his briskest and heaviest yet, miniaturizing his trademark loops of Dillafied psychedelia into speaker-rattling sample snippets that bombard uptempo house beats in dizzying volleys. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026 And yes, back to where the story began, on a brisk night on a huge stage in downtown Detroit. Bob Wojnowski, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for brisk

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

probably modification of Middle French brusque

Verb

verbal derivative of brisk entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of brisk was in 1560

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brisk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brisk. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

brisk

adjective
ˈbrisk
1
: very active or alert : lively
2
: very refreshing
brisk autumn weather
3
: energetic, quick
a brisk pace
briskly adverb
briskness noun

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