brisk

IPA/brɪsk/
KK[brˈɪsk]IPA/brɪsk/

brisk — adjective

  • briskpositive
  • briskercomparative
  • briskestsuperlative

1. Full of lively movement or rapid activity, so that people, events, or business f

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Full of lively movement or rapid activity, so that people, events, or business feel energetic and busy.

Example

Dario gave the team a brisk welcome and sent everyone straight to work.

collocation: brisk welcome for energetic, efficient action

The shop had brisk trade after the concert ended downtown.

collocation: brisk trade / brisk business

Common collocations
  • brisk pace
  • brisk walk
  • brisk trade
  • brisk business
  • brisk debate
Synonyms
  • lively

    adds brightness or animation, often in social settings

  • energetic

    focuses on strong energy, even when speed is not important

  • active

    broader and weaker; does not always suggest quick movement

Antonyms
  • slow

    moving or happening without speed

  • sluggish

    lacking energy or drive

Grammar Patterns

brisk + noun

be + brisk

Usage Note

Common with nouns such as 'pace', 'walk', 'trade', 'business', and 'conversation'. It suggests both speed and energy, not speed alone.

2. Cool in a refreshing way that feels clean, sharp, and pleasant rather than harsh

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

Cool in a refreshing way that feels clean, sharp, and pleasant rather than harsh.

Example

A brisk wind swept across the harbour before sunrise.

collocation: brisk wind / brisk air / brisk breeze

We opened the cabin door to let the brisk air in.

Common collocations
  • brisk wind
  • brisk air
  • brisk breeze
  • brisk morning
Synonyms
  • crisp

    often used for pleasantly cold air, with a slightly sharper feel

  • fresh

    broader and softer; not always cool

  • cool

    neutral term for lower temperature, without the refreshing tone

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

brisk + air / wind / breeze

be + brisk

Usage Note

Mostly used for weather, air, wind, or breeze. It suggests coolness that feels refreshing, not severe cold.

Common Mistakes

The soup tastes brisk.
The morning air feels brisk.
this sense describes pleasantly cool weather or air, not flavour.

3. Quick and efficient in a way that sounds direct and slightly sharp.

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

Quick and efficient in a way that sounds direct and slightly sharp.

Example

The nurse gave a brisk nod and moved to the next patient.

pattern: brisk gesture showing efficient movement

Elise answered in a brisk voice and ended the call.

collocation: brisk voice / brisk tone

Common collocations
  • brisk tone
  • brisk reply
  • brisk manner
  • brisk nod
Synonyms
  • businesslike

    neutral and efficient, often less sharp in tone

  • efficient

    focuses on getting things done well, without the sharpness

  • curt

    stronger and more openly abrupt

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

brisk + tone / manner / reply

be + brisk with somebody

Usage Note

This sense is about manner or tone, not physical movement. It often suggests efficiency and impatience at the same time.

Common Mistakes

His brisk tone was warm and affectionate.
His brisk tone was efficient but a little sharp.
this sense usually sounds direct rather than tender.

brisk — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These words all suggest movement or energy, but they focus on different things. 'Brisk' combines energy with speed, so it works well for movement, conversation, business, or work that feels lively and efficient. 'Energetic' focuses on having a lot of power or enthusiasm, even if nothing is happening quickly. 'Lively' often adds brightness, cheerfulness, or social sparkle, so a lively party may feel warm and noisy rather than efficient. 'Active' is the broadest and weakest word: it simply means doing a lot, without saying much about speed. 'Quick' is mostly about speed alone and can describe a short action with no special sense of vigour. You can take a brisk walk, run an energetic class, enjoy a lively dinner, or have a quick chat before a train leaves.

energetic ↗lively ↗active ↗quick ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • brisk pace
  • brisk walk
  • brisk trade
  • brisk business
  • brisk wind
  • brisk tone

Adverbs

  • fairly brisk
  • pleasantly brisk
  • surprisingly brisk

Phrases

  • keep a brisk pace
  • business is brisk
  • a brisk reply
  • a brisk breeze

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

The adjective 'brisk' entered English in the late 1500s, probably through French 'brusque', a word used for someone lively, fierce, or abrupt. That French form goes back to Italian 'brusco', originally meaning 'sour' or 'sharp' in taste. In English, the idea of sharpness widened into several modern senses: sharp movement became energetic activity, a sharp manner became a direct tone, and sharp fresh air became the pleasantly cool weather sense.