quickly
quickly
Pronunciation
/ˈkwɪkli/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds by syllable:
First Syllable: /kwɪk/
/k/ - voiceless velar stop (like the "k" in "cat")
/w/ - voiced labial-velar approximant (like the "w" in "water")
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel (like the "i" in "kit")
/k/ - voiceless velar stop (like the "ck" in "kick")
Second Syllable: /li/
/l/ - voiced alveolar lateral approximant (like the "l" in "love")
/i/ - close front unrounded vowel (like the "ee" in "see")
Word Form Variations
Comparative: more quickly (e.g., "She ran more quickly than him.")
Superlative: most quickly (e.g., "He finished the task most quickly of all.")
So, in essence, the word form of "quickly" remains "quickly."
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adverb
Definition: At a rapid pace; with swiftness or speed; in a short amount of time.
Synonyms: rapidly, swiftly, speedily, promptly, briskly, hastily, apace
Antonyms: slowly, gradually, leisurely, sluggishly, deliberately
Definition: Without delay or hesitation; in an immediate manner.
Synonyms: promptly, immediately, instantly, directly, forthwith, at once
Antonyms: belatedly, eventually, later, after a delay
Definition: In a brief or concise manner; without spending much time or effort on details.
Synonyms: briefly, concisely, cursorily, superficially, summarily
Antonyms: thoroughly, extensively, meticulously, in detail
Examples of Use
Books:
"He closed the book quickly, as if afraid someone would see what he was reading." (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, June 1997)
"The news spread quickly through the small town, sparking both fear and curiosity." (Stephen King, It, July 1986)
Newspapers:
"Kenya's economy is projected to grow quickly in the coming year, driven by agricultural exports and increased tourism." (The Standard)
"Police quickly apprehended the suspect after a brief chase through the city streets." (Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"How to Quickly Master a New Skill: Tips from Experts" (Forbes.com)
"The tech industry is evolving quickly, with new innovations emerging daily." (TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film Dialogue: "We need to move quickly if we want to catch them before they reach the border." (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One)
Song Lyrics: "And suddenly, everything changed so quickly, I couldn't keep up." (Taylor Swift, "Fifteen" from Fearless)
Video Game Instruction: "Press 'X' quickly to perform a dodge." (Elden Ring)
Podcast Narration: "The company quickly pivoted its strategy when faced with unexpected market challenges." (How I Built This, NPR)
General Public Discourse:
"Can you quickly grab those files for me?"
"Things escalated pretty quickly after that argument."
"We need to respond quickly to customer feedback to maintain satisfaction."
"The children quickly finished their homework so they could play outside."
10 Quotes Using Quickly
"The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks." (Mark Zuckerberg)
"Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going." (Tennessee Williams)
"Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations." (Steve Jobs)
"To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions." (Benjamin Franklin)
"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." (John Steinbeck)
"If we lose the war in the air we lose the war and we lose it quickly." (Bernard Law Montgomery)
"The emotional brain responds to an event more quickly than the thinking brain." (Daniel Goleman)
"Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them." (Voltaire)
"Every cliche about kids is true; they grow up so quickly, you blink and they're gone, and you have to spend the time with them now." (Liam Neeson)
"It is even better to act quickly and err than to hesitate until the time of action is past." (Carl von Clausewitz)
Etymology
The word "quickly" comes from the Old English word "cwiculīċe" (pronounced something like "kwick-lee-che"). This older word was formed by combining the adjective "quick" with the "-ly" ending, which turns adjectives into adverbs (just like "loud" becomes "loudly").
What's really interesting is that the original meaning of "quick" was not primarily about speed, but about being "alive" or "lively." Think of phrases like "the quick and the dead" (meaning "the living and the dead"), or "cut to the quick" (referring to the sensitive, living flesh under a fingernail).
So, when "quickly" first came into use in the Old English period (before 1150 AD), its meaning was closer to "in a lively or vigorous manner." Over time, the sense of "lively" evolved to include the idea of "moving rapidly" or "doing something in a short amount of time," which is the meaning we commonly associate with "quickly" today. The meaning of "rapidly, in a short space of time" is recorded from around 1200.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Quickly
"Quickly" itself isn't a word that forms many common, distinct idioms or fixed phrases in the same way some other words do. It primarily functions as a straightforward adverb modifying verbs. However, it appears in many common adverbial collocations and can be part of slightly less formal or contextual phrases.
Here's a list, supplementing as needed:
Act quickly: To take immediate action.
Think quickly: To process information and make decisions without delay.
Learn quickly: To acquire new knowledge or skills at a rapid pace.
Move quickly: To go from one place to another with speed.
Respond quickly: To give a swift answer or reaction.
Finish quickly: To complete a task in a short amount of time.
Bounce back quickly: To recover rapidly from a setback or difficulty.
Come around quickly: For a time period to pass in a short amount of perceived time (e.g., "The holidays came around quickly this year.").
Catch on quickly: To understand something new very fast.
Get up to speed quickly: To become fully informed or proficient in something in a short time.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of quickly from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
