quick

1 of 3

adjective

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
4
a
: moving, shifting
quick mud
b
archaic : not stagnant : running, flowing
5
archaic : fiery, glowing
6
archaic : pregnant
7
obsolete
a
b
quickly adverb
quickness noun

quick

2 of 3

adverb

: in a quick manner

quick

3 of 3

noun

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
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
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

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.

Kids Definition

quick

1 of 2 adjective
1
archaic : not dead : living, alive
2
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 noun
1
: 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

Medical Definition

quick

1 of 2 adjective
1
: not dead : living, alive
2

quick

2 of 2 noun
1
quick plural : living beings
2
: a painfully sensitive spot or area of flesh (as that underlying a fingernail)

More from Merriam-Webster on quick

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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