quick

English

Alternative forms

• kwik (eye dialect)

Etymology

From Middle English quik, quic, from Old English cwic (“alive”), from Proto-West Germanic *kwik(k)w, from Proto-Germanic *kwikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós (“alive”), from *gʷeyh₃- (“to live”), *gʷeih₃w- (“to live”).

Cognate with Dutch kwik, kwiek, German keck, Swedish kvick; and (from Indo-European) with Ancient Greek βίος (bíos, “life”), Latin vivus, Lithuanian gývas (“alive”), Latvian dzīvs (“alive”), Russian живо́й (živój), Welsh byw (“alive”), Irish beo (“alive”), biathaigh (“feed”), Northern Kurdish jîn (“to live”), jiyan (“life”), giyan (“soul”), can (“soul”), Sanskrit जीव (jīva, “living”), Albanian nxit (“to urge, stimulate”). Doublet of jiva.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwɪk/, [kw̥ɪk]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪk

Adjective

quick (comparative quicker, superlative quickest)

1. Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or capable of doing so; rapid; fast.

   I ran to the station – but I wasn't quick enough.

   He's a quick runner.

2. Occurring in a short time; happening or done rapidly.

   That was a quick meal.

3. Lively, fast-thinking, witty, intelligent.

   You have to be very quick to be able to compete in ad-lib theatrics.

4. Mentally agile, alert, perceptive.

   My father is old but he still has a quick wit.

5. Of temper: easily aroused to anger; quick-tempered.

   He is wont to be rather quick of temper when tired.

   • 1549, Hugh Latimer, The Sixth Sermon Preached Before King Edward, April 6 1549

     The bishop was somewhat quick with them, and signified that he was much offended.

6. (archaic) Alive, living.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 2 Timothy 4:1:

     the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead

   • 1633, George Herbert, The Temple

     Man is no star, but a quick coal / Of mortal fire.

   • 1874, James Thomson, The City of Dreadful Night, X

     The inmost oratory of my soul,

     Wherein thou ever dwellest quick or dead,

     Is black with grief eternal for thy sake.

7. (archaic) Pregnant, especially at the stage where the foetus's movements can be felt; figuratively, alive with some emotion or feeling.
   • c. 1595–1596, William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene ii]:

     she's quick; the child brags in her belly already: tis yours

8. Of water: flowing.
9. Burning, flammable, fiery.
10. Fresh; bracing; sharp; keen.
    • c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […]‎^[1], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon,  […], published 1609, OCLC 78596089, [Act IV, scene i]:

      […] the ayre is quicke there, / And it perces and ſharpens the ſtomacke,

11. (mining, of a vein of ore) productive; not "dead" or barren

Synonyms

• (moving with speed): fast, speedy, rapid, swift; see also Thesaurus:speedy
• (occurring in a short time): brief, momentary, short-lived; see also Thesaurus:ephemeral
• (fast-thinking): bright, droll, keen; see also Thesaurus:witty or Thesaurus:intelligent
• (easily aroused to anger): hotheaded, rattish, short-tempered, snippish, snippy
• (alive, living): extant, live, vital; see also Thesaurus:alive
• (pregnant): expecting, gravid, with child; see also Thesaurus:pregnant
• (flowing): fluent, fluminous; see also Thesaurus:flowing

Antonyms

• (moving with speed): slow

Derived terms

• lightning-quick
• overquick
• quick as a flash
• quick-change artist
• quick-drying
• quicken
• quick fix
• quickie
• quicklime
• quickly
• quick on his feet
• quick on the draw
• quicksand
• quickshaw
• quicksilver
• quick smart
• quickstep
• quick-thinking
• quick-witted

 

Related terms

► English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷeyh₃-‎ (0 c, 21 e)

Translations

moving with speed

• Arabic: سَرِيع‎ (sarīʿ)

  Egyptian Arabic: سريع‎ (sarīʕ)

• Armenian: արագ (hy) (arag)
• Assamese: খৰ (khor)
• Bashkir: тиҙ (tið), шәп (šäp)
• Belarusian: ху́ткі (be) (xútki), бы́стры (býstry)
• Bulgarian: бърз (bg) (bǎrz)
• Burmese: မြန် (my) (mran)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 快 (faai³), 快手 (faai³ sau²)

  Mandarin: 快 (zh) (kuài), 迅速 (zh) (xùnsù)

• Czech: rychlý (cs)
• Danish: hurtig (da), kvik
• Dutch: snel (nl), vlug (nl), rap (nl)
• Esperanto: rapide (eo)
• Estonian: nobe
• Finnish: nopea (fi), vikkelä (fi), joutuisa (fi), kova (fi) (informal), nopsa (fi) (colloquial)
• French: rapide (fr)
• Galician: rápido (gl) m, roudo m, lixeiro (gl) m, lampeiro m, andarengo m
• Georgian: სწრაფი (sc̣rapi), მკვირცხლი (mḳvircxli), მარდი (mardi), ცქვიტი (ckviṭi)
• German: schnell (de), geschwind (de), rasch (de)
• Greek: γρήγορος (el) (grígoros)

  Ancient: ταχύς (takhús), (Epic) θοός (thoós)

• Hebrew: זריז‎ (he) (zaríz), מהיר‎ (he) (mahír)
• Hindi: शीघ्र (hi) (śīghra)
• Hungarian: gyors (hu)
• Icelandic: fljótur (is), kvikur (is)
• Interlingua: rapide
• Irish: luath, sciobtha, mear
• Italian: rapido (it)
• Japanese: 速い (ja) (はやい, hayai)
• Khmer: លឿន (km) (lɨǝn), ឆាប់ (km) (cʰap)
• Korean: 빠른 (ko) (ppareun), 빠르다 (ko) (ppareuda) (predicative)

• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: گورج‎ (ku) (gurc)

• Lao: ໄວ (wai), ປຽວ (piāu)
• Latgalian: dreiži, mudri, kruši
• Latin: celer (la), rapidus, properus
• Latvian: ātrs (lv), ašs, straujš, žigls, knašs, nasks
• Macedonian: брз m (brz)
• Maori: pekepeke, tere, kama, horo, kerakera (of movement), pahuhu (of travel), pakē (of travel), korakora (of movement), tūkawikawi
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian: rask (no), kvikk
• Persian: فرز‎ (fa) (ferz), چابک‎ (fa) (cabok)
• Plautdietsch: schwind, flinkj, flott
• Polish: szybki (pl)
• Portuguese: rápido (pt), ligeiro (pt), veloz (pt), célere (pt)
• Romanian: repede (ro), rapid (ro), iute (ro)
• Russian: бы́стрый (ru) (býstryj)
• Sanskrit: आशु (sa) (āśu), शीघ्र (sa) (śīghra), रघु (sa) (raghu), (of animals) ऋज्र (sa) (ṛjra)
• Scottish Gaelic: grad
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: брз

  Roman: brz (sh)

• Slovak: rýchly
• Slovene: hiter
• Spanish: rápido (es)
• Swedish: snabb (sv), rapp (sv), kvick (sv)
• Thai: เร็ว (th) (reo), ไว (th) (wai)
• Tuvan: дүрген (dürgen)
• Ukrainian: швидки́й (švydkýj), хутки́й (xutkýj), прудки́й (prudkýj), би́стрий (uk) (býstryj)
• Vietnamese: nhanh (vi)
• Walloon: rade (wa) m or f, abeye (wa) m or f, adjete (wa) m or f, fel (wa) m, subtil m
• Yiddish: פֿלינק‎ (flink), גיך‎ (gikh), שנעל‎ (shnel)

occurring in a short time

• Arabic: سَرِيعٌ‎ (sarīʿun)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 快脆 (yue) (faai³ ceoi³)

• Danish: rask (da), kvik
• Dutch: snel (nl), vlug (nl), rap (nl), haastig (nl)
• Finnish: nopea (fi), pikainen (fi), pika- (fi), lyhytaikainen (fi)
• Galician: rápido (gl) m, pasadío m, vertixinoso m
• Hungarian: gyors (hu)
• Interlingua: rapide
• Japanese: 速い (ja) (はやい, hayai), 早い (ja) (はやい, hayai)
• Korean: 빠르다 (ko) (ppareuda)

• Macedonian: брз m (brz)
• Norwegian: rask (no), kvikk
• Portuguese: rápido (pt), ligeiro (pt)
• Romanian: repede (ro), rapid (ro)
• Russian: ско́рый (ru) (skóryj)
• Scottish Gaelic: grad
• Spanish: rápido (es)
• Swedish: snabb (sv), kvick (sv), hastig (sv)
• Ukrainian: ско́рий (skóryj)
• Walloon: abeye (wa) m or f

lively, witty

• Danish: kvik, rap (da)
• Dutch: kwiek (nl)
• Finnish: sukkela (fi), nokkela (fi), terävä (fi), nopeaälyinen (fi)
• Galician: rápido (gl) m, roudo m, lixeiro (gl) m, lampeiro m, andarengo m, vivo (gl) m
• German: scharfsinnig (de)
• Hungarian: élénk (hu), eszes (hu)
• Irish: tráthúil, mear
• Italian: svelto (it), lesto (it)

• Macedonian: жив m (živ), би́стар m (bístar)
• Norwegian: kvikk
• Portuguese: rápido (pt), ligeiro (pt)
• Romanian: vioi (ro), vioaie, iute (ro), sprinten (ro)
• Russian: прово́рный (ru) (provórnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: grad
• Swedish: kvick (sv), rapp (sv)

mentally agile, perceptive

• Danish: kvik, rap (da)
• Finnish: nopeaälyinen (fi), nokkela (fi), terävä (fi)
• Galician: rápido (gl) m, roudo m, lixeiro (gl) m, lampeiro m, andarengo m, vivo (gl) m
• Georgian: საზრიანი (ka) (sazriani), მიხვედრილი (mixvedrili), ალღოიანი (alɣoiani)
• German: schnell von Begriff
• Hungarian: friss (hu)
• Korean: 빠르다 (ko) (ppareuda)
• Macedonian: би́стар m (bístar), до́сетлив m (dósetliv), остро́умен m (ostróumen)

• Norwegian: kvikk
• Portuguese: rápido (pt), ligeiro (pt)
• Romanian: ager (ro)
• Russian: смышленый (ru) m (smyšlenyj), сообразительный (ru) m (soobrazitelʹnyj), доходчивый (ru) m (doxodčivyj)
• Swedish: kvick (sv), rapp (sv)
• Walloon: sûti (wa) m, subtile

easily aroused to anger

• Finnish: äkkipikainen (fi), äkkivihainen, äksy (fi), äkäinen (fi)
• Hungarian: hirtelen (hu), lobbanékony (hu)

• Russian: вспы́льчивый (ru) (vspýlʹčivyj), темпераментный (ru) (temperamentnyj)
• Swedish: ilsk (sv), ilsken (sv), lättretlig

alive

• Arabic: حَيٌّ‎ (ar) (ḥayyun)
• Danish: frisk og rask (literally "healthy and quick")
• Finnish: elävä (fi)
• French: animé (fr), vivant (fr)
• German: quicklebendig (de)
• Hungarian: eleven (hu)
• Macedonian: жив m (živ)

• Norwegian: frisk og rask (literally "healthy and quick")
• Romanian: vioi (ro), energic (ro)
• Russian: живо́й (ru) (živój)
• Swedish: kvick (sv) (archaic)

pregnant

• Arabic: جَارٍ‎ (ar) (jārin)
• Danish: gravid (da)
• Romanian: violent (ro), aprig (ro)

flowing

• Finnish: virtaava (fi), juokseva (fi)

• Swedish: kvick (sv) (archaic)

burning, fiery

• Finnish: herkästi syttyvä
• Romanian: înfocat (ro), învăpăiat (ro)

• Swedish: kvick (sv) (archaic)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Bulgarian: ^{(please verify)} бърз (bg) m (bǎrz)
• Ido: ^{(please verify)} rapida (io)
• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} rapide
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} abúil

• Italian: ^{(please verify)} svelto (it), ^{(please verify)} rapido (it)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} rapid (ro) m, ^{(please verify)} iute (ro)
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} త్వరగా (te) (tvaragā)

Adverb

quick (comparative quicker, superlative quickest)

1. Quickly, in a quick manner.

   Get rich quick.

   Come here, quick!

   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], OCLC 153628242:

     If we consider how very quick the actions of the mind are performed.

Derived terms

• right quick

Translations

with speed

• Arabic: سَرِيعًا‎ (sarīʿan), بِسُرْعَةٍ‎ (bisurʿatin)
• Catalan: corrents (ca)
• Finnish: nopeasti (fi)
• Russian: бы́стро (ru) (býstro), живо (ru) (živo)

• Sanskrit: आशु (sa) (āśu)
• Swedish: fort (sv), snabbt (sv)
• Walloon: rade (wa), radmint (wa), raddimint (wa), abeye (wa), abeydimint (wa), vite (wa), vitmint (wa)

Noun

quick (plural quicks)

1. Raw or sensitive flesh, especially that underneath finger and toe nails.
2. Plants used in making a quickset hedge
   • 1641, John Evelyn, diary entry September 1641

     The works […] are curiously hedged with quick.

3. The life; the mortal point; a vital part; a part susceptible to serious injury or keen feeling.
   • 1550, Hugh Latimer, Sermon Preached at Stamford, 9 October 1550

     This test nippeth, […] this toucheth the quick.

   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, Church-History of Britain

     How feebly and unlike themselves they reason when they come to the quick of the difference!

4. Quitchgrass.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Tennyson to this entry?)

5. (cricket) A fast bowler.

Derived terms

• cut to the quick
• to the quick

 

Translations

sensitive flesh

• Catalan: carn viva f
• Dutch: levend vlees
• German: Nagelbett (de) n
• Irish: beo (ga) m

• Spanish: carne viva f
• Swedish: nagelbädd c
• Welsh: byw (cy) m

Verb

quick (third-person singular simple present quicks, present participle quicking, simple past and past participle quicked)

1. (transitive) To amalgamate surfaces prior to gilding or silvering by dipping them into a solution of mercury in nitric acid.
2. (transitive, archaic, poetic) To quicken.
   • 1917', Thomas Hardy, At the Word 'Farewell

     I rose as if quicked by a spur I was bound to obey.

References

• quick in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911.
• quick in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• quick at OneLook Dictionary Search

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French

Etymology

From English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwik/
• Rhymes: -ik

Noun

quick m (plural quicks)

1. quick waltz

See also

• slow

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German

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German quick, from Old Saxon quik, from Proto-West Germanic *kwik(k)w, from Proto-Germanic *kwikwaz; also a Central Franconian form. Doublet of keck, which see for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kvɪk/, [kʋɪk]

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

quick (comparative quicker, superlative am quicksten)

1. (rather rare, dated) lively
   • 1899, Theodor Fontane, chapter 12, in Der Stechlin:

     Die Wirtin des Hauses, Frau Hagelversicherungssekretär Schickedanz, hätte diesen gelegentlichen Aufenthalt der Nichte Hartwigs eigentlich beanstanden müssen, ließ es aber gehen, weil Hedwig ein heiteres, quickes und sehr anstelliges Ding war und manches besaß, was die Schickedanz mit der Ungehörigkeit des ewigen Dienstwechsels wieder aussöhnte.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

Usage notes

• Much more common than the simplex is the pleonastic compound quicklebendig.

Declension

Positive forms of quick

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist quick	sie ist quick	es ist quick	sie sind quick
strong declension (without article)	nominative	quicker	quicke	quickes	quicke
	genitive	quicken	quicker	quicken	quicker
	dative	quickem	quicker	quickem	quicken
	accusative	quicken	quicke	quickes	quicke
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der quicke	die quicke	das quicke	die quicken
	genitive	des quicken	der quicken	des quicken	der quicken
	dative	dem quicken	der quicken	dem quicken	den quicken
	accusative	den quicken	die quicke	das quicke	die quicken
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein quicker	eine quicke	ein quickes	(keine) quicken
	genitive	eines quicken	einer quicken	eines quicken	(keiner) quicken
	dative	einem quicken	einer quicken	einem quicken	(keinen) quicken
	accusative	einen quicken	eine quicke	ein quickes	(keine) quicken

Comparative forms of quick

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist quicker	sie ist quicker	es ist quicker	sie sind quicker
strong declension (without article)	nominative	quickerer	quickere	quickeres	quickere
	genitive	quickeren	quickerer	quickeren	quickerer
	dative	quickerem	quickerer	quickerem	quickeren
	accusative	quickeren	quickere	quickeres	quickere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der quickere	die quickere	das quickere	die quickeren
	genitive	des quickeren	der quickeren	des quickeren	der quickeren
	dative	dem quickeren	der quickeren	dem quickeren	den quickeren
	accusative	den quickeren	die quickere	das quickere	die quickeren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein quickerer	eine quickere	ein quickeres	(keine) quickeren
	genitive	eines quickeren	einer quickeren	eines quickeren	(keiner) quickeren
	dative	einem quickeren	einer quickeren	einem quickeren	(keinen) quickeren
	accusative	einen quickeren	eine quickere	ein quickeres	(keine) quickeren

Superlative forms of quick

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am quicksten	sie ist am quicksten	es ist am quicksten	sie sind am quicksten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	quickster	quickste	quickstes	quickste
	genitive	quicksten	quickster	quicksten	quickster
	dative	quickstem	quickster	quickstem	quicksten
	accusative	quicksten	quickste	quickstes	quickste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der quickste	die quickste	das quickste	die quicksten
	genitive	des quicksten	der quicksten	des quicksten	der quicksten
	dative	dem quicksten	der quicksten	dem quicksten	den quicksten
	accusative	den quicksten	die quickste	das quickste	die quicksten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein quickster	eine quickste	ein quickstes	(keine) quicksten
	genitive	eines quicksten	einer quicksten	eines quicksten	(keiner) quicksten
	dative	einem quicksten	einer quicksten	einem quicksten	(keinen) quicksten
	accusative	einen quicksten	eine quickste	ein quickstes	(keine) quicksten

Derived terms

• Quickborn
• quicklebendig

 

Related terms

• erquicken
• keck
• Quecksilber

 

Further reading

• “quick” in Duden online
• “quick” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.