Quickly
adv.energetic, capableeveryday
What it means
At a fast rate or after only a short delay.
Reach for it when stating speed plainly without judging whether it was rushed
The technician quickly isolated the fault and restored the lights.
Choose between these
7- playful
speedily
cheerful emphasis on haste suits the tone
not when Speedily may feel old-fashioned.
- everyday
informal direct speech is appropriate
not when Fast as an adverb can sound casual.
- warm
lively purposeful movement is visible
not when Briskly can imply manner rather than elapsed time.
- professional
timely action against an expectation matters
not when Promptly concerns delay more than rate.
- formal
immediately
the action begins with no delay
not when Immediately is stronger than quickly.
- formal
rapidly
measurable speed suits technical prose
not when Rapidly can sound clinical in a warm story.
- literary
smooth impressive speed deserves emphasis
not when Swiftly can make routine action dramatic.
Said against
3- slowly
- gradually
- belatedly
It naturally appears in
3- act quickly
Fire crews acted quickly when the alarm sounded.
- quickly become
The shaded bench quickly became a favorite meeting place.
- quickly respond
Staff quickly responded to the accessibility request.
The word family
2Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adverb sense: rapidly or without delay opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.