quick
adjective /kwɪk/
/kwɪk/
(comparative quicker, superlative quickest)
Idioms - done with speed; taking or lasting a short time
- a quick look/check/search
- She gave him a quick glance.
- Let's take a quick break.
- There's no quick fix for this problem.
- Just a quick note to say thanks for lunch yesterday.
- Let me just ask one quick question.
- Thanks for the quick response.
- These cakes are very quick and easy to make.
- Would you like a quick drink?
- 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.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- at
- quick and easy
- 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.
- Don't be too quick to dismiss science fiction.
- Don't be so quick to judge unless you know all the facts.
- Her quick hands suddenly stopped moving.
- Try to be quick! We're late already.
- Once again, his quick wits (= ability to think quickly) got him out of an awkward situation.
- (North American English, informal) He's a quick study (= he learns quickly).
Extra Examples- I was getting quite quick at putting up fences.
- We'd better be quick.
- He's a very quick worker.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- at
- quick and easy
- [only before noun] happening very soon or without delay
- We need to make a quick decision.
- The company wants quick results.
- The doctor said she'd make a quick recovery.
- There isn’t a quick answer to this problem.
Which Word? fast / quick / rapidfast / quick / rapidThese adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:fast ~ quick ~ rapid ~ car glance change train look growth bowler reply increase pace decision decline lane way 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.
- a speedy car.
- For the use of fast and quick as adverbs, .
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- at
- quick and easy
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’.
Idioms
be quick/fast on the draw
- (informal) to be quick to understand or react in a new situation
- You can't fool him—he's always quick on the draw.
- to be quick at pulling out a gun in order to shoot it
be quick/slow on the uptake
- (informal) to be quick/slow to understand something
- Is he always this slow on the uptake?
have a quick/short temper
- to become angry easily see also quick-tempered, short-temperedTopics Feelingsc2
make a fast/quick buck
- (informal, often disapproving) to earn money quickly and easily
- This is a long-term project. We are not out to make a quick buck.
quick and dirty
- (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.
quick/slow off the mark
- fast/slow in reacting to a situation
- If you’re quick off the mark in answering these questions, you could win a prize.
- The government was slow off the mark in responding to the crisis.