quick

quick

I

quick¹ S1 W2 /kwɪk/ adjective (comparative quicker, superlative quickest)1.  SHORT TIME lasting for or taking only a short time:
    That was quick__ I thought you’d be another hour.
    It’s probably quicker by train.
    Have we got time for a quick drink?
    What’s the quickest way to the station?
    We stopped to have a quick look at the church.
    Three bombs went off in quick succession (=quickly, one after the other).
2.  FAST moving or doing something fast:
    She walked with short, quick steps.
    They were great people to work with – very quick, very efficient.
    Boxers have to be quick on their feet (=able to move about quickly).
3.  NO DELAY happening very soon, without any delay
   SYN  speedy:
    I had to make a quick decision.
    We’ve put the house on the market and we’re hoping for a quick sale.
    We need a quick response from the government.
    Robertson’s quick thinking had saved the little girl’s life.
4.  CLEVER able to learn and understand things fast:
    Jane’s very witty and very quick.
    She’s a quick learner.
    He’s a good interviewer, tough and quick on the uptake (=able to understand quickly what someone is saying).
5. be quick used to tell someone to hurry:
    If you want to come with me you’ll have to be quick – I’m leaving in ten minutes.
    ‘Can I just finish this first?’ ‘OK, but be quick about it.’
6. be quick to do something to react quickly to what someone says or does:
    The government was quick to deny any involvement in the attacks.
7. quick fix informal a solution to a problem that can be done quickly, but is not a good or permanent solution:
    There’s no quick fix for stopping pollution.
    Congress is trying to avoid quick-fix solutions.
8. have a quick temper to get angry very easily
9. be quick on the draw
  a. to be able to pull a gun out quickly in order to shoot
  b. American English informal to be good at reacting quickly and intelligently to difficult questions or in difficult situations
—quickness noun [uncountable]
⇨ quickly
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ quick taking only a short time to do something: I took a quick look at the map. | Do I have time for a quick shower before we go out?
   ▪ short lasting only a short time: You can do a short course in diving. | The meeting was shorter than I’d expected.
   ▪ brief especially written lasting only a short time. Brief is more formal than short, and is used especially in written English: The President made a brief visit to Buenos Aires. | a brief introduction to Piaget’s ideas | a brief pause in the rain
   ▪ rapid especially written happening in a short period of time – used about changes, increases, improvements etc: a rapid increase in crime | the rapid rate of industrial development
   ▪ speedy happening or done as quickly as possible, especially so that you get the result that you want: Best wishes for a speedy recovery. | The restoration work has been making speedy progress.
   ▪ prompt done very soon after something else: Thank you for your prompt reply. | the prompt action of the firefighters | Discounts will be offered for prompt payment.
   ▪ hasty deciding or doing something very quickly, especially when this has bad results: It was a hasty decision, which he later regretted. | They had to make a hasty departure.
   ▪ cursory formal looking at something very quickly without much attention to detail: Even a cursory glance at these figures shows that there is a problem. | The police conducted a cursory search of the property.

II

quick² interjection
used to tell someone to hurry or come quickly:
    Quick__ We’ll miss the bus__

III

quick³ S3 adverb
quickly – many teachers think this is not correct English
   SYN  fast:
    Come quick__ Larry’s on TV__
    It all happened pretty quick.
    Quick as a flash (=very quickly) she replied, ‘That’s not what I’ve heard__’
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ quickly at a high speed or without taking much time: The stream was flowing quite quickly. | They quickly became friends.
   ▪ fast at a high speed – used especially when talking about how something moves: You__re driving too fast__ | He ran home as fast as he could.
   ▪ quick spoken quickly – used in exclamations or in comparatives: Quick__ There’s a mouse__
   ▪ swiftly written quickly: The government acted swiftly. | She was surprised that he agreed so swiftly.
   ▪ rapidly quickly – used especially about changes, increases, improvements etc: The population is growing rapidly. | a rapidly changing world
   ▪ speedily quickly and therefore efficiently: All problems were speedily dealt with.
   ▪ briskly quickly and energetically: He walked briskly back along the path.
   ▪ at high/great speed at a very fast speed – used especially in technical descriptions: The molecules are travelling at great speed.
   ▪ at a rapid rate especially written quickly – used about changes, increases, improvements etc: Internet shopping is growing at a rapid rate.
   ▪ as quick as a flash/in a flash extremely quickly: As quick as a flash, I was back in my bed and under the covers.
   ▪ like lightning moving extremely quickly: Like lightning, the cat darted under the bushes.
   ▪ flat out especially British English at the fastest speed possible: The car was going flat out. | He was running flat out.

IV

quick⁴ noun1. the quick the sensitive flesh under your fingernails and toenails:
    Her nails were bitten to the quick.
2. cut/sting/pierce somebody to the quick if a remark or criticism cuts you to the quick, it makes you feel extremely upset:
    She was cut to the quick by the accusation.
3. the quick and the dead biblical all people, including those who are alive and those who are dead