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
6
archaic
: pregnant
quickly
adverb
quickness
noun
: in a quick manner
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
Synonyms
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
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Recent Examples on the Web
J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Cowboys respond, pad lead before half The Cowboys offense responded to the Jets’ quick strike, with a little help from some key penalties against the NY defense.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2023
View those stats as a quick snapshot of market conditions.
—Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023
Samford’s Michael Hiers rushes in for a touchdown The Samford offense was quick to capitalize on Auburn’s mistake on special teams as quarterback Michael Hiers rushed in for a 9-yard touchdown to trim Auburn’s lead to 31-13 with 57 seconds to play in the third quarter.
—Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 16 Sep. 2023
Here's a quick outline of how to make lasagna soup:
Step 1.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2023
As for choosing Baltimore over New York, Beckham was quick to point out that the size of the city was meaningless.
—Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 5 Sep. 2023
One Australian dive center on the Great Barrier Reef was quick to jump on board.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2023
Something New When Invasion first dropped, many fans and gaming outlets were quick to compare the new PvE missions to past Archives events.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 4 Sep. 2023
Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 6 Sep. 2023
The chatbot, powered by OpenAI’s large language model (LLM), became the fastest-growing app in history earlier this year, reaching 100 million users far quicker than earlier internet sensations like Instagram, Netflix, and TikTok.
—Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2023
Despite its premium, the gel manicure maintains its appeal over the traditional alternative because of its quicker drying time, hard-to-beat durability, and minimal upkeep.
—Marisa Petrarca, Allure, 23 Aug. 2023
The East Coast and gulf region are relatively flat, allowing storms to travel more easily, while the mountainous west coasts of Mexico and California tend to break them up quicker.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 21 Aug. 2023
Verizon was able to get satellite operators like SES to clear their C-band quicker by paying them extra for early exits from those frequencies.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 15 Aug. 2023
The recall training is designed to make the process quicker and easier the next time the weather wreaks havoc.
—Emily Anthes Emil T. Lippe, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023
Regardless of transmission, acceleration is significantly quicker compared with the standard Jetta's 158-hp engine.
—Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 2 Aug. 2023
Once damp, camping blankets made from synthetic material tend to dry quicker and are even sometimes fire resistant.
—Erica Zazo, Popular Mechanics, 31 July 2023
Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2022
Down by 7 with 4:30 to go in the third quarter, Brady delivered a quick out to Edelman, who then connected with Danny Amendola for the 51-yard touchdown pass.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Dec. 2021
Hall’s adaptation cuts to the quick of the novel and transfers the shifting, unsettling quality of Larsen’s text back onto the viewer’s shoulders.
—New York Times, 20 Oct. 2021
Jones took the snap and fired a quick out to Henry for 6 yards and the first down.
—BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2021
While doing that quick of a workout might not seem worth the effort to pull on a sports bra and lace up your sneakers, there are actually a ton of compelling reasons to squeeze in a super-short session.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 11 July 2021
Strict border control, and a public quick to wear masks and take precautions after the experience of the 2003 SARS epidemic, have meant that Taiwan recorded a little more than 2,000 cases and 14 deaths.
—Washington Post, 12 May 2021
Speed out Once again, Washington targeted a Browns linebacker (B.J. Goodson) by throwing a quick out to running back J.D. McKissic.
—Ellis L. Williams, cleveland, 2 Oct. 2020
Cutting to our cultural quick is the show’s spin on a typical U.S. response to a nationwide problem: anger, paranoia and plenty of ulterior motives looking to make use of each.
—Jacob Oller, chicagotribune.com, 25 Sep. 2020
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Adjective
Nothing could be more challenging for Kiffin, who is accustomed to using his quick wit and relatable humor to disarm his critics and redirect the public discourse around him.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Cowboys respond, pad lead before half The Cowboys offense responded to the Jets’ quick strike, with a little help from some key penalties against the NY defense.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2023
View those stats as a quick snapshot of market conditions.
—Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023
Samford’s Michael Hiers rushes in for a touchdown The Samford offense was quick to capitalize on Auburn’s mistake on special teams as quarterback Michael Hiers rushed in for a 9-yard touchdown to trim Auburn’s lead to 31-13 with 57 seconds to play in the third quarter.
—Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 16 Sep. 2023
Here's a quick outline of how to make lasagna soup:
Step 1.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2023
As for choosing Baltimore over New York, Beckham was quick to point out that the size of the city was meaningless.
—Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 5 Sep. 2023
One Australian dive center on the Great Barrier Reef was quick to jump on board.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2023
Something New When Invasion first dropped, many fans and gaming outlets were quick to compare the new PvE missions to past Archives events.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 4 Sep. 2023
Adverb
By Polestar's estimates, the Performance's 60-mph time is 0.1 second quicker than before (4.1 seconds versus 4.2).
—Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 6 Sep. 2023
The chatbot, powered by OpenAI’s large language model (LLM), became the fastest-growing app in history earlier this year, reaching 100 million users far quicker than earlier internet sensations like Instagram, Netflix, and TikTok.
—Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2023
Despite its premium, the gel manicure maintains its appeal over the traditional alternative because of its quicker drying time, hard-to-beat durability, and minimal upkeep.
—Marisa Petrarca, Allure, 23 Aug. 2023
The East Coast and gulf region are relatively flat, allowing storms to travel more easily, while the mountainous west coasts of Mexico and California tend to break them up quicker.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 21 Aug. 2023
Verizon was able to get satellite operators like SES to clear their C-band quicker by paying them extra for early exits from those frequencies.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 15 Aug. 2023
The recall training is designed to make the process quicker and easier the next time the weather wreaks havoc.
—Emily Anthes Emil T. Lippe, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023
Regardless of transmission, acceleration is significantly quicker compared with the standard Jetta's 158-hp engine.
—Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 2 Aug. 2023
Once damp, camping blankets made from synthetic material tend to dry quicker and are even sometimes fire resistant.
—Erica Zazo, Popular Mechanics, 31 July 2023
Noun
But a turnaround that quick will cost you: the service is $400 for GenVisa and $799 for FastPort, and that’s not including any government fees.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2022
Down by 7 with 4:30 to go in the third quarter, Brady delivered a quick out to Edelman, who then connected with Danny Amendola for the 51-yard touchdown pass.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Dec. 2021
Hall’s adaptation cuts to the quick of the novel and transfers the shifting, unsettling quality of Larsen’s text back onto the viewer’s shoulders.
—New York Times, 20 Oct. 2021
Jones took the snap and fired a quick out to Henry for 6 yards and the first down.
—BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2021
While doing that quick of a workout might not seem worth the effort to pull on a sports bra and lace up your sneakers, there are actually a ton of compelling reasons to squeeze in a super-short session.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 11 July 2021
Strict border control, and a public quick to wear masks and take precautions after the experience of the 2003 SARS epidemic, have meant that Taiwan recorded a little more than 2,000 cases and 14 deaths.
—Washington Post, 12 May 2021
Speed out Once again, Washington targeted a Browns linebacker (B.J. Goodson) by throwing a quick out to running back J.D. McKissic.
—Ellis L. Williams, cleveland, 2 Oct. 2020
Cutting to our cultural quick is the show’s spin on a typical U.S. response to a nationwide problem: anger, paranoia and plenty of ulterior motives looking to make use of each.
—Jacob Oller, chicagotribune.com, 25 Sep. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English quik, from Old English cwic; akin to Old Norse kvikr living, Latin vivus living, vivere to live, Greek bios, zōē life
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of quick was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing quick
Articles Related to quick
Dictionary Entries Near quick
Cite this Entry
“Quick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quick. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
quick
1 of 2 adjective2
a
: fast in understanding, thinking, or learning : mentally keen
b
: reacting with speed and alertness
c
: aroused immediately and easily
quick temper
d
: fast in development or occurrence
gave a quick look
e
: marked by speed, readiness, or promptness of action or movement
quick
adverb
quickly
adverb
quickness
noun
quick
2 of 2 noun1
: living persons
the quick and the dead
2
: a very tender area of flesh (as under a fingernail)
3
: one's innermost feelings
hurt to the quick by the remark
4
: the very center of something : heart
the quick of the matter
More from Merriam-Webster on quick
Nglish: Translation of quick for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of quick for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quick
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