quick
/kwɪk/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Happening in a short time, or taking little time. It can also mean done with speed and little delay.
- She gave a quick answer.
- We need a quick decision.
- He took a quick shower.
adverb
In some fixed phrases, quick means fast or quickly. This use is less common in modern everyday English.
- Come quick!
- Get here quick.
- He worked quick and left.
Adinary Nuance
Quick is close to fast, but it often feels more immediate and informal. Quick suggests little time or no delay, while fast often describes high speed over time or distance. In writing, quick is common in phrases like quick answer or quick look.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- nhanh
- Spanish
- rápido
- Chinese
- 快速
- Japanese
- 速い
- Korean
- 빠른
Etymology
Quick comes from Old English cwic, meaning ‘alive’ or ‘living’. The meaning later changed to ‘lively’ and then to ‘fast’.
Common phrases
quick answerquick lookquick fixquick meal
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between quick and fast?
- Quick often means taking little time. Fast often means moving at a high speed.
- Is quick formal or informal?
- Quick is neutral and very common in speech and writing.
- Can I say quick in a sentence instead of quickly?
- Sometimes, but usually quick is an adjective, not an adverb. Say quickly unless you are using a fixed phrase.