1
: keenly alert : lively
… a brisk old lady with no nonsense about her …—
Jean Stafford
Jean Stafford2
a
: pleasingly tangy
brisk tea
b
: fresh, invigorating
a brisk autumn day
3
: sharp in tone or manner
was very brisk on the phone
briskly
adverb
briskness
noun
brisked; brisking; brisks
: to make animated, energetic, or marked by much activity : to make brisk
: 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
Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Aerobic activities — such as brisk walking, cycling and rowing — can improve brain function, including for older adults who begin exercising later in life.
—Holly Haber, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
The brisk pace does open the door for extra turnovers and momentum swings, which the Big Sky champions will try to manipulate.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Britain has long been a haven for hikers, amblers, and fans of a brisk stroll in the open air.
—Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brisk
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Adjective
Florida’s pace is so brisk that even some law enforcement leaders are questioning all those arrests, including federal judges in the Central Florida region overseeing detention hearings, and Republican sheriffs and police chiefs appointed to the State Immigration Enforcement Council.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Aerobic activities — such as brisk walking, cycling and rowing — can improve brain function, including for older adults who begin exercising later in life.
—Holly Haber, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
The brisk pace does open the door for extra turnovers and momentum swings, which the Big Sky champions will try to manipulate.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Britain has long been a haven for hikers, amblers, and fans of a brisk stroll in the open air.
—Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brisk
Cite this Entry
“Brisk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brisk. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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