quick

English

Etymology

From Middle English quik, quic, from Old English cwic (“alive”), 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”), Kurdish jîn (“to live”), jiyan (“life”), giyan (“soul”), can (“soul”), Sanskrit जीव (jīva, “living”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (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.
   • Latimer

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

6. (archaic) Alive, living.
   • Bible, 2 Timothy iv. 1

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

   • Herbert

     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.
   • Shakespeare

     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.
    • Shakespeare

      The air is quick there, / And it pierces and sharpens the stomach.

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

Synonyms

• (moving with speed): fast, speedy, rapid, swift
• See also Thesaurus:speedy

Antonyms

• (moving with speed): slow

Derived terms

Term list

• kwik
• lightning-quick
• quick as a flash
• quick-change artist
• quick-drying

• quicken
• quick fix
• quickie
• quicklime

• quickly
• quick on his feet
• quick on the draw
• quicksand

• quicksilver
• quick smart
• quickstep
• quick-witted

Translations

moving with speed

• Arabic: سَرِيع‎ (sarīʿ)
• Armenian: արագ (hy) (arag)
• Bashkir: тиҙ (tið), шәп (šäp)
• Belarusian: ху́ткі (xútki)
• 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)
• Dutch: snel (nl), vlug (nl), rap (nl)
• Esperanto: rapide (eo)
• Estonian: nobe
• Finnish: nopea (fi), vikkelä (fi)
• 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: θοός (thoós), ταχύς (takhús)

• 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:

  Sorani: گورج‎ (ku) (gurc)

• Lao: ໄວ (wai), ປຽວ (piāu)
• Latgalian: dreiži, mudri, kruši
• Latin: celer, rapidus
• 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)
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian: rask (no), kvikk
• Persian: فرز‎ (fa) (ferz), چابک‎ (fa) (cabok)
• Polish: szybki (pl)
• Portuguese: rápido (pt), ligeiro (pt), veloz (pt), célere (pt)
• Romanian: repede (ro), rapid (ro), iute (ro)
• Russian: бы́стрый (ru) (býstryj)
• Sanskrit: शीघ्र (sa) (śīghra)
• 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)
• Ukrainian: швидки́й (švydkýj)
• Vietnamese: nhanh (vi)
• Walloon: rade (wa) m, f, abeye (wa) m, f, adjete (wa) m, f, fel (wa) m, subtil m
• Yiddish: פֿלינק‎ (flink), גיך‎ (gikh), שנעל‎ (shnel)

occurring in a short time

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 快脆 (faai³ ceoi³)

• Dutch: snel (nl), vlug (nl), rap (nl), haastig (nl)
• Finnish: nopea (fi), pikainen (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, f

lively, witty

• Danish: kvik
• Dutch: kwiek (nl)
• Finnish: sukkela (fi), nokkela (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

• Finnish: nopeaälyinen (fi), nokkela (fi)
• Galician: rápido (gl) m, roudo m, lixeiro (gl) m, lampeiro m, andarengo m, vivo (gl) m
• 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)
• Hungarian: hirtelen (hu), lobbanékony (hu)

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

alive

• 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

• Romanian: violent (ro), aprig (ro)

flowing

• Finnish: virtaava (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
2. (colloquial) with speed

   Get rich quick.

   Come here, quick!

   • John Locke

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

Derived terms

• right quick

Translations

with speed

• Catalan: corrents (ca)
• Finnish: nopeasti (fi)
• Russian: бы́стро (ru) (býstro), живо (ru) (živo)

• 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
   • Evelyn

     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.
   • Latimer

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

   • Fuller

     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

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 (sv) 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.
   • Thomas Hardy

     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

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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-Germanic *kwikwaz. Also a Central Franconian form; compare early modern German quick (Cologne, 15th century). 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

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

Derived terms

• Quickborn

• quicklebendig

Related terms

Terms related to quick

• erquicken

• keck

• Quecksilber