quicken
Americanverb (used with object)
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quickens,
present (3rd person singular)
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quickened,
past participle, past
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quickening
present participle
verb (used without object)
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quickens,
present (3rd person singular)
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quickened,
past participle, past
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quickening
present participle
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to become more active, sensitive, etc..
This drug causes the pulse to quicken.
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to become alive; receive life.
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(of the mother) to enter that stage of pregnancy in which the fetus gives indications of life.
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(of a fetus in the womb) to begin to manifest signs of life.
verb
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to make or become faster; accelerate
he quickened his walk
her heartbeat quickened with excitement
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to impart to or receive vigour, enthusiasm, etc; stimulate or be stimulated
science quickens man's imagination
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to make or become alive; revive
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(of an unborn fetus) to begin to show signs of life
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(of a pregnant woman) to reach the stage of pregnancy at which movements of the fetus can be felt
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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quickensimple
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quickenssimple
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have quickenedperfect
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has quickenedperfect
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am quickeningprogressive
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are quickeningprogressive
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is quickeningprogressive
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have been quickeningperfect progressive
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has been quickeningperfect progressive
Past
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quickenedsimple
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had quickenedperfect
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was quickeningprogressive
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were quickeningprogressive
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had been quickeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of quicken
First recorded in 1250–1300, quicken is from the Middle English word quikenen. See quick, -en 1
Explanation
When things quicken, they speed up or make something go faster. If you're late for school, you should probably quicken your pace. Your heartbeat probably quickens when you're afraid or after you've been running fast, and you could also say that your curiosity quickens (or increases) when you overhear a mysterious phone call. The oldest meaning of quicken, however, is "come to life," a definition which sounds very old fashioned now, but which was once used to describe an advanced stage of pregnancy: "The fetus began to quicken."
Vocabulary lists containing quicken
Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 9
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"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Vocabulary from the speech
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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.
See Examples For:
If the World Cup helps quicken the pace of moves to de-escalate, there could be a material impact on energy prices, supplies and the world economy.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
The platform, called CX Enterprise, is designed to help companies boost sales, improve customer experience, and quicken time-intensive tasks.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
However, exchange rates are a critical factor, and should yen weakness quicken during the January-March period, this timing could be brought forward, Citi adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
The reopening has begun, and this should quicken the pace for a potential December rate cut, which is now seen as essentially a 50-50 tossup according to the FedWatch tool provided by CME.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 14, 2025
I heard his boot steps quicken as he tramped down the front porch.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
Game shipments are likely to rise around 10% next fiscal year, given user engagement typically quickens in the second year of a console cycle, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
The shot is already marketed in the U.S. and requires two doses over one month, which quickens seroprotection compared to hepatitis B vaccines that are delivered in three doses over six months.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
Is this the point where the pace quickens?
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025
As the beat picks up, the dancer quickens their steps to a jog — but seemingly slips on stage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2024
The kind that quickens during a hunt, not an epidemic.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
PCE inflation, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure, quickened to 3.5% in March, the highest in nearly three years.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
India stood out as well, as new order growth quickened despite a slower rise in exports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026
Although his speech set a record for length, these moments quickened the pace of the evening and fit with the president's larger theme of American patriotism and accomplishment.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
Renée quickened her pace and approached the woman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
He quickened his pace, and they followed him wearily.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Los Angeles River was still pretty much what it had been for eons: a wandering river of the West, often nothing more than damp wetlands in summer, but quickening into rushwaters in winter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Amazon.com reported Thursday that cloud-computing sales are quickening, and that its investments in data centers to serve cloud customers are accelerating, a combination that has cheered investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Different in that investors are now left to navigate a more complicated backdrop of elevated energy and commodity prices, quickening inflation readings, and a slowing domestic economy.
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
"My pulse was quickening as I was unwrapping the bubble," he said.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
I can feel the muscles in my face relaxing, my pace quickening as I climb the hills to our place, a rock ledge overlooking a valley.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions 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.
