quickly
Americanadverb
Commonly Confused
See quick.
Etymology
Origin of quickly
Explanation
When you do something quickly, you do it really fast — like when you quickly eat breakfast so you won’t be late to school. The adverb quickly can describe any action that’s done at great speed. If you see a wolf running quickly, that means it’s moving rapidly and you’d better hide quickly. Quickly can also carry the sense of doing something without delay or hesitation. Sometimes quickly has a connotation of not putting much thought or effort into something, like when you quickly do your math homework.
Vocabulary lists containing quickly
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He quickly became emotional when the topic turned to their injured teammate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Sofia Kochmar, 34, a mother-of-one living in the western city of Lviv, said she was initially concerned but quickly questioned the authenticity of the alerts.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Ukraine’s air force quickly said there was no radiation threat and urged citizens to stay calm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Social media users quickly slammed her as out of touch.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
A knock, Gingersnipes knew, that would not stay long if she did not move quickly.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
