quicken

verb

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quick·en | \ ˈkwi-kən

quickened; quickening\ ˈkwi-kə-niŋ

, ˈkwik-niŋ \

Definition of quicken

transitive verb

1a : to make alive : revive

b : to cause to be enlivened : stimulate

2 archaic

a : kindle

b : to cause to burn more intensely

3 : to make more rapid : hasten, accelerate quickened her steps

4a : to make (a curve) sharper

b : to make (a slope) steeper

intransitive verb

1 : to quicken something

2 : 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 felt

4 : to shine more brightly watched the dawn quickening in the east

5 : to become more rapid her pulse quickened at the sight

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

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Choose the Right Synonym for quicken

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

Examples of quicken in a Sentence

Stimulants can quicken the heart rate. His pulse quickened at the thought of seeing her again. The approach of the deadline quickened our sense of urgency. The drama quickened when police arrived at the scene.

Recent Examples on the Web Skimbleshanks made my pulse quicken a little; Rum Tug Tugger made hers. — Marshall Heyman, Town & Country, "Cats Has Never Made Sense—And I Have Always Loved It," 19 Dec. 2019 But streaming services made greater inroads to one of Hollywood's premier parties than ever before, reflecting the industry's quickening realignment. — Jake Coyle, Anchorage Daily News, "Netflix, led by ‘Marriage Story,’ dominates Golden Globe nominations," 9 Dec. 2019 Now, scientists working with the European Union want to create the next generation of beer by quickening the evolutionary process of yeast. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Can Scientists Evolve the Next Great Beer?," 13 Oct. 2019 Time seems to slow even as the pulse quickens, and Baku impulsively approaches Asako and takes her in his arms. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Asako I & II’ is a playful, haunting drama of love lost and regained," 21 Aug. 2019 Hartford: Two new plans to improve the state’s transportation system include proposals to quicken commutes to and from New York City. — USA TODAY, "Bye-bye to Bei Bei, reverse bank robbery, squirrel survey: News from around our 50 states," 18 Nov. 2019 Once asked to quicken, Enable did manage to pull clear, and the packed grandstands in Paris roared in expectation. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Enable denied Arc de Triomphe hat trick by Waldgeist," 6 Oct. 2019 Baseball’s efforts to quicken the pace of games have not resulted in swifter play: the average time of a nine-inning game is 3:05:35, up from 3:00:44 last year and 3:05:11 in 2017. — Ronald Blum, Twin Cities, "MLB attendance drops in boom-bust era of big winners, losers," 28 Sep. 2019 Remove seats if possible and use fans to quicken the drying process. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "How to find your towed car after Tropical Storm Imelda," 20 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quicken.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Quicken.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quickening. Accessed 17 January 2020.

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More Definitions for quicken

quicken

verb