quick
/kwɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /kwɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkwik/ (ame, mw)
quick — adjective
- quickpositive
- quickercomparative
- quickestsuperlative
1. Happening in a very short amount of time, or lasting for only a short period.
Happening in a very short amount of time, or lasting for only a short period.
The quick shower left Yara feeling refreshed before work.
collocation: quick shower / quick look / quick reply
Inês sent a quick reply and then closed her laptop.
Felix made a quick decision to take the afternoon train home.
The meeting was quick, lasting only about fifteen minutes.
Renata took a quick look at the map before driving off.
文法句型
quick + noun
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of the word and pairs with a wide range of nouns such as 'meal', 'walk', 'glance', 'stop', and 'visit'.
常見錯誤
2. Able to move or act at high speed without difficulty.
Able to move or act at high speed without difficulty.
Christopher is a quick runner who often wins school races.
pattern: quick + noun for a fast person
The delivery driver was quick, bringing the package in under an hour.
Iris is quick with her hands when she chops vegetables in the kitchen.
Padma is a quick walker, so the group struggled to keep up with her.
The goalkeeper was not quick enough to stop the penalty shot.
- slow
not moving fast
文法句型
quick + noun
be + quick
用法筆記
Often appears with body parts in the pattern 'quick with [one's] hands / feet' to describe manual or physical dexterity.
3. Done too fast without enough thought, often leading to mistakes or problems.
Done too fast without enough thought, often leading to mistakes or problems.
Ilan has a quick temper and often says things he later regrets.
collocation: quick temper
Soraya made a quick decision to quit, and she regretted it the next day.
collocation: quick decision (negative sense)
Mauricio gave a quick answer without checking the facts first.
A quick judgment of other people can lead to unfair treatment.
The boss is quick to criticise but slow to praise her team.
- careful
taking time to avoid mistakes
- deliberate
slow and purposeful
文法句型
quick + noun
quick to + infinitive
用法筆記
When paired with 'temper', 'decision', or 'judgment', this sense carries a negative implication of carelessness. Compare with sense 1, where 'quick decision' can be neutral or positive.
常見錯誤
4. Having a sharp mind that understands, notices, or reacts to things very fast.
Having a sharp mind that understands, notices, or reacts to things very fast.
Yuki has a quick mind and solves crossword puzzles in seconds.
collocation: quick mind
The lawyer was quick to spot the hidden mistake in the contract.
pattern: quick to spot / notice / realise
Quan gave a quick response that impressed everyone in the room.
A quick sense of humour helps Soraya handle difficult situations with grace.
The teacher praised Felix for his quick understanding of the maths problem.
- sharp
informal; suggests cleverness and alertness
- astute
more formal; suggests the ability to assess situations accurately
- perceptive
emphasises noticing things others miss
文法句型
quick + noun
be + quick to + verb (mental action)
用法筆記
Unlike sense 3 ('quick to criticise'), this sense of 'quick to + verb' is positive and describes mental agility. The verb following is typically a mental action like 'notice', 'realise', 'understand', or 'spot'.
5. Able to learn new skills or information in a short time with little difficulty.
Able to learn new skills or information in a short time with little difficulty.
The new student is quick and picked up French in three months.
Inês is a quick learner who masters new software within days.
collocation: quick learner
Felix was quick to learn the rules of the board game.
Padma is quick at picking up new dance steps during class.
The young pianist is a quick study who learns a new piece every week.
- slow learner
needs more time to acquire new skills
文法句型
quick + noun
be + quick to + verb
be + quick at + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Often appears in job references and performance reviews: 'a quick learner' is a common phrase in recommendation letters. 'Quick at + gerund' is a frequent pattern for this sense.
6. Made or done in a hurry, and therefore not thorough, polished, or of good qualit
Made or done in a hurry, and therefore not thorough, polished, or of good quality.
The team made a quick fix to keep the website running overnight.
collocation: quick fix
Renata drew a quick sketch of the house layout on a napkin.
The QA team did a quick test that found the main bug but missed the smaller errors.
A quick solution was needed, so Ilan patched the broken pipe with tape.
- makeshift
focuses on being a temporary substitute
- rough
emphasises lack of polish rather than speed
- provisional
more formal; implies a temporary arrangement
文法句型
quick + noun
用法筆記
Often appears in technical or project contexts. 'Quick and dirty' is a set phrase describing a temporary workaround, while 'quick fix' suggests a shallow solution that may not address underlying causes.
quick — exclamation
1. Used as an urgent command telling someone to act immediately or without delay.
Used as an urgent command telling someone to act immediately or without delay.
Quick! Grab a towel before the water spreads across the floor.
exclamation: urgent command with imperative
Quick! Call an ambulance — someone fell off the ladder in the garden.
Quick! Hide behind the sofa so they do not see us.
Quick! Turn off the stove before the soup boils over the pot.
文法句型
Quick! + imperative sentence
用法筆記
This is a standalone exclamation, not a reduced form of 'Be quick!' It can be followed by an imperative sentence directed at the listener.
quick — adverb
1. At a fast speed; without delay. Used informally in place of 'quickly', especiall
At a fast speed; without delay. Used informally in place of 'quickly', especially in speech.
Come quick! There is a rainbow outside the kitchen window.
informal adverb: verb + quick (instead of quickly)
Yara ran quick to catch the last bus before it left the station.
Please type quick because we are almost out of time for the deadline.
Think quick — we only have about thirty seconds to decide.
- slowly
at a slow speed
文法句型
verb + quick
用法筆記
This flat-adverb form ('quick' instead of 'quickly') is accepted in informal speech and imperatives, but should be avoided in formal writing. 'He did it quick' is conversational; 'He did it quickly' is the standard form.
常見錯誤
quick — noun
1. The tender patch of living tissue lying directly under each nail on a finger or
The tender patch of living tissue lying directly under each nail on a finger or a toe.
The nail clippers cut too deep and touched the quick, making Yuki wince.
pattern: touch / cut the quick (literal)
His harsh words cut her to the quick and she left the room in tears.
idiomatic: cut to the quick (metaphorical — deeply hurt)
When trimming a dog's claws, you must avoid cutting into the quick.
The manicure was painful because the nail file grazed the quick on Iris's thumb.
文法句型
the quick
cut to the quick
用法筆記
Most commonly encountered in the fixed phrase 'cut to the quick', which is used metaphorically to mean 'deeply emotionally hurt'. The literal sense (sensitive flesh under nails) is less common in everyday speech but well understood by English speakers.