- 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 Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, seem, become, … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionat phrasesquick and easy See full entry
- 2 moving or doing something fast a quick learner quick (to do something) 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. (North American English, informal) He's a quick study (= he learns quickly). Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, seem, become, … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionat phrasesquick and easy See full entry
- 3 [only before noun] happening very soon or without delay We need to make a quick decision. The company wants quick results. There isn’t a quick answer to this problem. Which Word?fast / quick / rapidThese adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns: fast car/train/bowler/pace/lane quick glance/look/reply/decision/way rapid change/growth/increase/decline/progress Fast is used especially to describe a person or thing that moves or is able to move at great speed. Quick is more often used to describe something that is done in a short time or without delay. Rapid, swift and speedy are more formal words. Rapid is most commonly used to describe the speed at which something changes. It is not used to describe the speed at which something moves or is done:a rapid train We had a rapid coffee. Swift usually describes something that happens or is done quickly and immediately:a swift decision The government took swift action. Speedy has a similar meaning:a speedy recovery. It is used less often to talk about the speed at which something moves:a speedy car. For the use of fast and quick as adverbs, . Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, seem, become, … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionat phrasesquick and easy See full entry Word OriginOld 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’.Extra examples I was getting quite quick at putting up fences. It was a mercifully quick end for those condemned to die. We’d better be quick. a really quick worker an extremely quick worker meals that are quick and easy to prepare He’s a very quick worker. It’s quicker by train. She was quick to point out the mistakes I’d made. There isn’t a quick answer to this problem. Try to be quick! We’re late already.Idioms
- 1(informal) to be quick to understand or react in a new situation You can't fool him—he's always quick on the draw.
- 2to be quick at pulling out a gun in order to shoot it
(informal) to be quick/slow to understand something Is he always this slow on the uptake?
(informal, often disapproving) to earn money quickly and easily This is a long-term project. We are not out to make a quick buck.
(informal) used to describe something that is usually complicated, but is being done quickly and simply in this case Read our quick-and-dirty guide to creating a website.
fast/slow in reacting to a situation If you’re quick off the mark in answering these questions, you could win a prize.
to become angry easily
Check pronunciation: quick
