quick

adjective

\ ˈkwik

Definition of quick

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

a(1) : fast in development or occurrence a quick succession of events

(2) : done or taking place with rapidity gave them a quick look

b(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

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

2 : having a sharp angle a quick turn in the road

3 : not dead : living, alive

4a : moving, shifting quick mud

b archaic : not stagnant : running, flowing

5 archaic : fiery, glowing

6 archaic : pregnant

7 obsolete

a : pungent

b : caustic

quick

adverb

Definition of quick (Entry 2 of 3)

: in a quick manner

quick

noun

Definition of quick (Entry 3 of 3)

1 [ 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

2 quick plural : living beings

3 archaic : life sense 11

Other Words from quick Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about quick

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Choose the Right Synonym for quick

Adjective

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

Adjective

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.

Examples of quick in a Sentence

Adjective

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.

Adverb

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

Noun

that nasty comment cut me to the quick

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Sally LaPointe, feathered coat, $4200, shorts, $650, salllylapointe.com, Altuzarra, earrings, price upon request, altuzarra.com 8 The New Suit There's no quicker way to appear polished and pulled-together than with a good two or three-piece suit. — Harper's BAZAAR, "10 Trends to Go All In On for 2019," 8 Jan. 2019 In a letter to the STB, Norfolk Southern CEO James Squires said the new fee structure is intended to encourage quicker unloading of railcars so they can be put back in use and keep the railroad running smoothly. — Paul Ziobro, WSJ, "Regulator Examines Railroads for Hitting Customers With Late Fees," 1 Jan. 2019 Instagram user Suprateek Bose took a screenshot of the feature, which could be a quicker way to move through Explore posts. — Dami Lee, The Verge, "Instagram is testing tapping through posts instead of scrolling," 11 Oct. 2018 As a result, large residential developments in the suburbs filled up with homes that were relatively quick and cheap to build. — Maggie Burch, House Beautiful, "This Is Why Millennials Love Mid-Century Modern Homes So Much," 7 Dec. 2018 Machine learning has all kinds of nefarious and trivial applications, but one of the most useful and terrific has been the rise of quick and cheap transcription tools. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Finally, the Robots Are Turning Phone Calls Into Text Chats," 3 Dec. 2018 Lawless recommends using a quick-dry temporary touch-up spray that won't leave any sticky residue, such as L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up, to effectively conceal grays in seconds. — Redbook, "How to Look Like You Just Left the Salon," 27 Nov. 2018 Since 1996, more than a million babies in the US have been born using IVF A quick primer on fertility: In an unassisted pregnancy, a woman’s ovary releases an egg, and sperm finds and fertilizes the egg. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "Why Michelle Obama’s revelation that she had a miscarriage and did IVF matters," 9 Nov. 2018 Among the Republicans quick to call for Esty’s resignation was Manny Santos, a former Republican mayor in Connecticut and Esty’s presumptive opponent in November’s election. — Joseph Weber, Fox News, "Washington Democrats silent on calls for Rep. Esty to resign over harassment, abuse case," 2 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Real quick, the goal of Manny’s is to create a central place for people to become better informed and more involved citizens. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Full Q&A: Ezra Klein and Kara Swisher on the future of journalism," 12 Dec. 2018 So the internet and what things are on a screen are quick-cut, nonlinear, discontinuous, and flat. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Eighth Grade director Bo Burnham on what most movies get wrong about the internet," 25 Aug. 2018 With the time and freedom to establish personal relationships, and the ability to quickly test ideas for validation and further discovery, Invanti embodied a more grassroots and inexpensive version of the learn-quick-and-iterate model of innovation. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "How a Midwest startup generator bursts the Bay Area tech bubble and solves real problems," 12 Dec. 2018 And as for those diva rumors? Clarkson shut them down real quick. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "What 'The Voice' Coaches Really Thought About Working With Mariah Carey," 8 Nov. 2018 The company’s downfall offers a quick-moving example of the kinds of risks activists take on when trying to transform what, from the outside, might look like a struggling business. — Costas Paris, WSJ, "Alleged Fraud Surprises Activist Investors in Shipping Fuel Company," 6 Nov. 2018 Mercury — named after the Roman deity who served as a messenger to the gods — is the quick-moving planet that governs communication, travel, and technology. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "Your 2018 Guide to Surviving Mercury Retrograde," 26 July 2018 But he's picked it up real sharp, real quick with that. — Nick Baumgardner, Detroit Free Press, "Jim Harbaugh: Michigan football's quarterback battle still wide open," 28 Apr. 2018 Save for the out-of-season snow, summer is coming quick — and officials are bracing for a brutal wildfire season. — Joshua Bowling, azcentral, "After disease outbreak, Apache trout are returning to waterways in the White Mountains," 9 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Spencer Stouffer, of Hilton Head Island, owns one of three in South Carolina, and gave us more than a peek at the lightning-quick (0 to 60 in under 4 seconds), state-of-the-art electric car. — Lisa Gutierrez, kansascity, "Elon Musk accused of stealing farting unicorn artwork after artist raises a stink," 29 June 2018 The site is bordered by the Frazee retail center to the east, the Orange Garden apartments to the south and an automotive quick-lube business to the west. — Steve Dreyer, Pomerado News, "Old bank to make way for dialysis center," 6 June 2018 The strong, but lightning-quick, 5-2 forward finished her Porkers career with 68 goals and 49 assists. — BostonGlobe.com, "2017-18 Field Hockey All-Scholastics," 7 May 2018 The strong, but lightning-quick, 5-2 forward finished her Porkers career with 68 goals and 49 assists. — BostonGlobe.com, "2017-18 Field Hockey All-Scholastics," 7 May 2018 The strong, but lightning-quick, 5-2 forward finished her Porkers career with 68 goals and 49 assists. — BostonGlobe.com, "2017-18 Field Hockey All-Scholastics," 6 May 2018 The strong, but lightning-quick, 5-2 forward finished her Porkers career with 68 goals and 49 assists. — BostonGlobe.com, "2017-18 Field Hockey All-Scholastics," 21 Apr. 2018 Some people are fast after 40 meters and some have quick starts. — Ted Dunnam, Houston Chronicle, "Area track: Local athletes shine in star-studded meet," 20 Apr. 2018 The spillway is the reservoir's primary tool for flushing out massive amounts of water in a quick, controlled way. — Joseph Serna, latimes.com, "Atmospheric river brings impressive rain, risk of flooded rivers and test of Oroville Dam's spillway," 7 Apr. 2018

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.