quick
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- fast, brisk, express, fleet, hasty, rapid, speedy, swift
- brief, cursory, hasty, hurried, perfunctory
- sudden, prompt
- intelligent, acute, alert, astute, bright (informal), clever, perceptive, quick-witted, sharp, shrewd, smart
- deft, adept, adroit, dexterous, skilful
- excitable, irascible, irritable, passionate, testy, touchy

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Antonyms: sluggish, slow
Contrasted words: dilatory, laggard, leisurely, slow, unhasty, unhurried, comatose, lethargic, logy, poky, torpid, crass, dense, dull, dumb, stupid
Related Idioms: quick on the trigger
Related Words: agile, brisk, nimble, abrupt, impetuous, clever, intelligent, quick-witted, smart, adroit, deft, dexterous, acute, keen, sharp, able, capable, competent, effective, effectual

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English Thesaurus: fast, quick, high-speed, rapid, swift, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. quick¹ S1 W2 /kwɪk/ adjective (comparative quicker, superlative quickest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: cwic 'alive']

1. SHORT TIME lasting for or taking only a short time:
That was quick! I thought you’d be another hour.
It’s probably quicker by train.
Have we got time for a quick drink?
What’s the quickest way to the station?
We stopped to have a quick look at the church.
Three bombs went off in quick succession (=quickly, one after the other).

2. FAST moving or doing something fast:
She walked with short, quick steps.
They were great people to work with – very quick, very efficient.
Boxers have to be quick on their feet (=able to move about quickly).

3. NO DELAY happening very soon, without any delay Synonym : speedy:
I had to make a quick decision.
We’ve put the house on the market and we’re hoping for a quick sale.
We need a quick response from the government.
Robertson’s quick thinking had saved the little girl’s life.

4. CLEVER able to learn and understand things fast:
Jane’s very witty and very quick.
She’s a quick learner.
He’s a good interviewer, tough and quick on the uptake (=able to understand quickly what someone is saying).

5. be quick used to tell someone to hurry:
If you want to come with me you’ll have to be quick – I’m leaving in ten minutes.
‘Can I just finish this first?’ ‘OK, but be quick about it.’

6. be quick to do something to react quickly to what someone says or does:
The government was quick to deny any involvement in the attacks.

7. quick fix informal a solution to a problem that can be done quickly, but is not a good or permanent solution:
There’s no quick fix for stopping pollution.
Congress is trying to avoid quick-fix solutions.

8. have a quick temper to get angry very easily

9. be quick on the draw
a) to be able to pull a gun out quickly in order to shoot
b) American English informal to be good at reacting quickly and intelligently to difficult questions or in difficult situations
—quickness noun [uncountable]
⇒ quickly

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. quick² interjection
used to tell someone to hurry or come quickly:
Quick! We’ll miss the bus!

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. quick³ S3 adverb
quickly – many teachers think this is not correct English Synonym : fast:
Come quick! Larry’s on TV!
It all happened pretty quick.
Quick as a flash (=very quickly) she replied, ‘That’s not what I’ve heard!’

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

IV. quick⁴ noun
[Sense 1-2: Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language. ]
[Sense 3: Language: Old English; Origin: ⇒ quick¹]

1. the quick the sensitive flesh under your fingernails and toenails:
Her nails were bitten to the quick.

2. cut/sting/pierce somebody to the quick if a remark or criticism cuts you to the quick, it makes you feel extremely upset:
She was cut to the quick by the accusation.

3. the quick and the dead biblical all people, including those who are alive and those who are dead

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

quick
adj.
VERBS be, seem We'd better be quick.
become, get
ADV. extremely, particularly, really, very a really quick worker
fairly, pretty, quite, reasonably, relatively | amazingly, remarkably, surprisingly | mercifully It was a mercifully quick end for those condemned to die.
PREP. at I was getting quite quick at putting up fences.
PHRASES quick and easy meals that are quick and easy to prepare

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

quick
adjective
BAD: We are able to exchange information quicker than in the past.
GOOD: We are able to exchange information more quickly than in the past.

Usage Note:
Quicker is sometimes used as an adverb, but only in informal styles. More quickly is always acceptable: 'He spoke more quickly than usual.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

fast moving or able to move quickly:
The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world.
a fast car
quick moving fast or doing something in a short time:
He was much quicker than I was over the first 100 metres.
Do I have time for a quick shower?
high-speed [only before noun] designed to travel or operate very quickly:
a high-speed train
high-speed Internet access
rapid especially written happening in a short period of time – used about changes, increases, improvements etc:
a rapid increase in the population
the rapid expansion of the firm’s business in the Middle East
a rapid decline in profits
swift written moving quickly or happening after only a short time:
The horses ran along the track at a swift trot.
He received a swift response to his letter.
brisk quick and energetic:
a brisk walk in the countryside
His manner was very brisk.
speedy [only before noun] happening after only a short time:
Everyone wishes you a speedy recovery.
a speedy resolution to the problem
hurried done more quickly that usual, because you do not have much time:
She ate a hurried breakfast in the cafe before catching her train.
We made a hurried departure.
hasty deciding or doing something very quickly, especially when this has bad results:
It was a hasty decision, which he later regretted.
Let’s not be too hasty.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

quick taking only a short time to do something:
I took a quick look at the map.
Do I have time for a quick shower before we go out?
short lasting only a short time:
You can do a short course in diving.
The meeting was shorter than I’d expected.
brief especially written lasting only a short time. Brief is more formal than short, and is used especially in written English:
The President made a brief visit to Buenos Aires.
a brief introduction to Piaget’s ideas
a brief pause in the rain
rapid especially written happening in a short period of time – used about changes, increases, improvements etc:
a rapid increase in crime
the rapid rate of industrial development
speedy happening or done as quickly as possible, especially so that you get the result that you want:
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
The restoration work has been making speedy progress.
prompt done very soon after something else:
Thank you for your prompt reply.
the prompt action of the firefighters
Discounts will be offered for prompt payment.
hasty deciding or doing something very quickly, especially when this has bad results:
It was a hasty decision, which he later regretted.
They had to make a hasty departure.
cursory formal looking at something very quickly without much attention to detail:
Even a cursory glance at these figures shows that there is a problem.
The police conducted a cursory search of the property.
quickly at a high speed or without taking much time:
The stream was flowing quite quickly.
They quickly became friends.
fast at a high speed – used especially when talking about how something moves:
You're driving too fast!
He ran home as fast as he could.
swiftly written quickly:
The government acted swiftly.
She was surprised that he agreed so swiftly.
rapidly quickly – used especially about changes, increases, improvements etc:
The population is growing rapidly.
a rapidly changing world
speedily quickly and therefore efficiently:
All problems were speedily dealt with.
briskly quickly and energetically:
He walked briskly back along the path.
at high/great speed at a very fast speed – used especially in technical descriptions:
The molecules are travelling at great speed.
at a rapid rate especially written quickly – used about changes, increases, improvements etc:
Internet shopping is growing at a rapid rate.
as quick as a flash/in a flash extremely quickly:
As quick as a flash, I was back in my bed and under the covers.
like lightning moving extremely quickly:
Like lightning, the cat darted under the bushes.
flat out especially British English at the fastest speed possible:
The car was going flat out.
He was running flat out.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

quickly at a high speed or without taking much time:
The stream was flowing quite quickly.
They quickly became friends.
fast at a high speed – used especially when talking about how something moves:
You're driving too fast!
He ran home as fast as he could.
quick spoken quickly – used in exclamations or in comparatives:
Quick! There’s a mouse!
swiftly written quickly:
The government acted swiftly.
She was surprised that he agreed so swiftly.
rapidly quickly – used especially about changes, increases, improvements etc:
The population is growing rapidly.
a rapidly changing world
speedily quickly and therefore efficiently:
All problems were speedily dealt with.
briskly quickly and energetically:
He walked briskly back along the path.
at high/great speed at a very fast speed – used especially in technical descriptions:
The molecules are travelling at great speed.
at a rapid rate especially written quickly – used about changes, increases, improvements etc:
Internet shopping is growing at a rapid rate.
as quick as a flash/in a flash extremely quickly:
As quick as a flash, I was back in my bed and under the covers.
like lightning moving extremely quickly:
Like lightning, the cat darted under the bushes.
flat out especially British English at the fastest speed possible:
The car was going flat out.
He was running flat out.
high-speed [only before noun] designed to travel or operate very quickly:
a high-speed train
high-speed Internet access
rapid especially written happening in a short period of time – used about changes, increases, improvements etc:
a rapid increase in the population
the rapid expansion of the firm’s business in the Middle East
a rapid decline in profits
swift written moving quickly or happening after only a short time:
The horses ran along the track at a swift trot.
He received a swift response to his letter.
brisk quick and energetic:
a brisk walk in the countryside
His manner was very brisk.
speedy [only before noun] happening after only a short time:
Everyone wishes you a speedy recovery.
a speedy resolution to the problem
hurried done more quickly that usual, because you do not have much time:
She ate a hurried breakfast in the cafe before catching her train.
We made a hurried departure.
hasty deciding or doing something very quickly, especially when this has bad results:
It was a hasty decision, which he later regretted.
Let’s not be too hasty.
be on a diet to be eating less or different food than normal in order to become thinner:
No cake thanks – I’m on a diet.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

short not long:
I lived in Tokyo for a short time.
Smokers have a shorter life expectancy than non-smokers.
brief especially written lasting only for a short time. Brief is more formal than short, and is used especially in written English:
The President will make a brief visit to Seattle today.
He coached Hingis for a brief period in the 1990s.
quick [only before noun] taking a short time to do something:
I had a quick look at the map.
He had a quick shower and then went out.
short-lived lasting only for a short time – used especially when someone wishes that a good situation had been able to last for longer:
short-lived success
The ceasefire was short-lived.
a short-lived romance
short-lived optimism about the economy
fleeting lasting only for an extremely short time – used especially when someone wishes that something had been able to last for longer:
a fleeting visit
a fleeting smile
She caught a fleeting glimpse of him.
a fleeting moment of happiness
a fleeting thought
momentary lasting for a very short time – used especially about feelings or pauses:
There was a momentary pause in the conversation.
The momentary panic ended when he found his two-year-old son waiting happily outside the store.
passing [only before noun] lasting only for a short time – used especially when people are only interested in something or mention something for a short time:
passing fashions
He made only a passing reference to war.
It’s just a passing phase (=it will end soon).
ephemeral formal lasting only for a short time, and ending quickly like everything else in this world:
Beauty is ephemeral.
the ephemeral nature of our existence
His wealth proved to be ephemeral.
not very tall quite short. This phrase sounds more gentle than saying that someone is short:
She wasn’t very tall – maybe about 1.60 m.
small short and with a small body:
My mother was a small woman.
The girl was quite small for her age (=smaller than other girls of the same age).
petite used about a woman who is attractively short and thin:
She was a petite woman with blonde hair.
stocky used about a boy or man who is short, heavy, and strong:
Harry was stocky and middle-aged.
dumpy short and fat:
a dumpy girl with red hair
diminutive formal literary very short or small – used especially in descriptions in novels:
a diminutive figure dressed in black
stubby stubby fingers or toes are short and thick:
the baby’s stubby little fingers
film especially British English, movie especially American English a series of images that tell a story and are shown in a cinema or on television:
What’s your favourite movie?
It won the award for best foreign film.
a made-for-TV movie
motion picture formal (also picture) a film – used especially by people who make films or by critics:
a major Hollywood motion picture
Tell us about your latest picture.
blockbuster informal a very successful film:
Steven Spielberg’s latest Hollywood blockbuster
flick informal a film – a very informal use:
an action flick
documentary a film that gives detailed information and facts about a particular subject:
a documentary on the rain forest
feature film a film made to be shown in cinemas:
The book was later made into a full-length feature film starring Sean Penn.
comedy a film intended to make people laugh:
Monroe appeared in a number of comedies.
romantic comedy (also romcom British English informal) a film about two people who are in love, which is intended to make the people who watch it feel happy:
‘Notting Hill’ is a romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.
thriller an exciting film, especially about murder or serious crimes:
‘The Birds’ is a classic Hitchcock thriller.
film noir a film that shows strong feelings of fear or evil and whose characters are often immoral, or these films in general:
‘The Big Sleep’ is a classic Hollywood film noir.
action film/movie a film that has lots of fighting, explosions etc:
Stallone’s latest action movie
horror film/movie a frightening film about ghosts, murders etc:
She loves watching old horror movies.
western a film with cowboys in it:
John Wayne is famous for making westerns.
science fiction film/movie (also sci-fi film/movie informal) a film about imaginary events in the future or in outer space:
‘2001’ is probably the most famous sci-fi movie ever made.
gangster film/movie a film about violent criminals
silent film/movie an old film without any sound:
The 1920s were the golden age of silent movies.
an independent film/movie a film made by a small film company
animated film/movie/cartoon a film with characters that are drawn or made using a computer:
One of his first animated films was ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.
anime /ˈænɪmeɪ, -mə/ a type of Japanese animated film, which often has a science fiction story:
Miyazaki’s anime film ‘Spirited Away’ became an international success.
an anime character
CGI the use of computers to create characters and images in a film:
The film uses CGI.
Disney’s latest CGI movie
trailer a series of short scenes from a film or programme, shown in order to advertise it in a cinema, on television etc:
We had to sit through all the trailers.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲