quick

play

adjective \ ˈkwik \

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

Fernandes made quick work of challenger Andrew Leone with a first-round rear-naked choke, giving the Brazilian bantamweight champion a record seven successful title defenses.

— yoolim lee, Bloomberg.com, "Ultimate Fighting Championship Has an Asian Rival," 30 Aug. 2017
But not before stopping at Fishers High School in Indiana for a quick 90-minute practice.

— pat disabato, Daily Southtown, "Disabato: Homewood-Flossmoor finds Week 2 football foe in North Carolina," 29 Aug. 2017
Here's a quick look back at the tumultuous relationship: June 29, 2016: Robison commits to WKU Nov. 15, 2016: Robinson signs national letter of intent with WKU Nov. 30, 2016: Robinson decommits from WKU, according to a tweet from his account.

— chris white, The Courier-Journal, "WKU's Mitchell Robinson recruiting saga reaches new level of absurdity with Twitter meme," 28 Aug. 2017
Navigation functions were simple and quick, a kind of litmus test for the entire infotainment system.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "New GMC Acadia Denali version gives this SUV the royal treatment," 25 Aug. 2017
Researchers have found writing can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, speed healing of wounds and improve the chances of quick re-employment after being laid off.

— natalie jacewicz, Kaiser Health News, "Writing Your Way Through Cancer," 25 Aug. 2017
Like a quick-sketch artist, Deevy creates character right before our eyes — no expounding, no clunky exposition, not a soapbox in sight, just people, caught in a moment in time by the dilemma of love.

— toby zinman, Philly.com, "'Suitcase Under the Bed': Four pitch-perfect plays, full of humanity," 25 Aug. 2017
The Arts Council also reported that the recent Plein Air Paint Out in Ellicott City on the weekend of July 7 to 9 attracted a record number of artists, including over 60 who participated in the quick draw competition on Saturday morning.

— Howard County Times, "ARTsites returns with new outdoor sculptures [Mostly Main Street]," 25 Aug. 2017
Over the next few days, Hill worked through a quick analysis.

— liz kruesi, Discover Magazine, "Finding the Universe's Missing Matter," 21 Aug. 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 sselasky@freepress.com.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Burger Battle is today at Eastern Market," 25 June 2017
In addition to the drivetrain, the AMG treatment includes an upgraded suspension with adaptive dampers, larger brake discs, and steering that’s surgically precise and sports-car quick (2.1 turns lock-to-lock).

— tony swan, Car and Driver, "2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 Cabriolet," 16 June 2017
Quick: Think of a way to make a clever play of the end of mankind coming not with a bang, but on Twitter.

— chuck plunkett, The Denver Post, "In the future, we’ll all need publicists," 9 June 2017
LAKE FOREST Residents looking for a quick, free read in the southern area of Lake Forest now have a closer option after Girl Scout Troop 3743 of Lake Forest officially opened its Little Free Library at El Toro Park May 12.

— nathaniel percy, Orange County Register, "Girl Scouts help open second Little Free Library in Lake Forest," 22 May 2017
Those two quick runs supported Jeremy Hellickson for six innings.

— matt gelb, Philly.com, "Michael Saunders, Phillies slide past Marlins for sixth straight win," 27 Apr. 2017
Quick: what‘s an easy way for the Trump administration to score some good press and a patina of credibility?

— bess levin, vanityfair.com, "Of Course Exxon Is Asking the U.S. to Waive Its Sanctions on Russia," 19 Apr. 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

His re-introduction to Bran is pretty funny, but turns serious real quick.

— elyse roth, Glamour, "'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Finale Recap: A Major Death, That Jon and Daenerys Thing Happened, and So Much More," 28 Aug. 2017
Just two return on defense, so several players will have to grow up quick.

— scott springer, Cincinnati.com, "Preview: Colerain continues to top GMC squads," 16 Aug. 2017
People are very quick to put down players and say, ‘

— SI.com, "Everton Legend Backs Returning Wayne Rooney to Help End Toffees' 22-Year Trophy Drought," 10 Aug. 2017
Those guys are a little bit more perimeter shooters than what Frank is as far as getting them off quick.

— jesse newell, kansascity, "Safety check needed after Udoka Azubuike’s rim-rattling dunk during KU’s win in Italy," 2 Aug. 2017
As quick-spreading as WCry was, its virulence was largely checked by a series of errors made by its developers.

— dan goodin, Ars Technica, "A new ransomware outbreak similar to WCry is shutting down computers worldwide," 27 June 2017
The Delta Air Lines quick take on this incident is that federal law requires passengers to comply with crew instructions, or run the risk of being seen as a security threat.

— jim stingl, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Stingl: Urgent trip to restroom gets man kicked off Delta flight," 26 Apr. 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

play

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

play

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

play

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up quick? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

quick

Definition of quick

quickly

quickness

Read the Latest from M-W

Examples of quick in a Sentence

Recent Examples of quick from the Web

Origin and Etymology of quick

quick Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of quick

quick

Definition of quick

Examples of quick in a Sentence

Recent Examples of quick from the Web

First Known Use of quick

quick Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

quick

Definition of quick

Examples of quick in a Sentence

Recent Examples of quick from the Web

First Known Use of quick

quick Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

QUICK Defined for English Language Learners

quick

Definition of quick for English Language Learners

quick

Definition of quick for English Language Learners

QUICK Defined for Kids

quick

Definition of quick for Students

quickly

quickness

History for quick

Synonym Discussion of quick

quick

Definition of quick for Students

quick

Definition of quick for Students

Medical Dictionary

quick

medical Definition of quick

quick

medical Definition of quick

Learn More about quick

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066