/ kwɪk; NAmE / adjective , adverb , noun
■ adjective ( quick·er , quick·est )
1.
done with speed; taking or lasting a short time :
She gave him a quick glance.
These cakes are very quick and easy to make.
Would you like a quick drink?
The doctor said she'd make a quick recovery.
It's quicker by train.
Are you sure this is the quickest way?
Have you finished already? That was quick!
His quick thinking saved her life.
He fired three shots in quick succession .
—see also double quick
2.
quick (to do sth) moving or doing sth fast :
a quick learner
The kids were quick to learn.
She was quick (= too quick) to point out the mistakes I'd made.
Her quick hands suddenly stopped moving.
Try to be quick ! We're late already.
Once again, his quick wits (= quick thinking) got him out of an awkward situation.
( NAmE , informal )
He's a quick study (= he learns quickly) .
3.
[ only before noun ] happening very soon or without delay :
We need to make a quick decision.
The company wants quick results.
➡ note at fast
•
IDIOMS
- to have a quick temper
- quick and dirty
—more at buck noun , draw noun , mark noun , uptake
■ adverb ( quick·er , quick·est )
1.
quickly; fast :
Come as quick as you can!
Let's see who can get there quickest.
It's another of his schemes to get rich quick .
2.
quick- (in adjectives) doing the thing mentioned quickly :
quick-thinking
quick-growing
•
IDIOMS
- (as) quick as a flash
■ noun
the quick [ sing. ] the soft, sensitive flesh that is under your nails :
She has bitten her nails down to the quick.
•
IDIOMS
- cut sb to the quick
••
WHICH WORD
quick / quickly / fast
Quickly is the usual adverb from quick :
I quickly realized that I was on the wrong train.
•
My heart started to beat more quickly.
Quick is sometimes used as an adverb in very informal language, especially as an exclamation:
Come on! Quick! They'll see us!
Quicker is used more often:
My heart started to beat much quicker.
•
The quicker I get you away from here, the better.
Fast is more often used when you are talking about the speed that somebody or something moves at:
How fast can a cheetah run?
•
Can't you drive any faster?
• You're driving too quickly. There is no word fastly .
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English cwic , cwicu alive, animated, alert , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kwiek sprightly and German keck saucy, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin vivus alive and Greek bios , zōē life.