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.
“Eric Sondheimer,” he quickly answered to a scrum full of quizzical looks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
The rapidly evolving trend terrorising or tantalising teenagers on TikTok across the UK and Ireland is a reminder that online fear can quickly spill into the real world.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
We must also abandon the illusion that this war can be brought to a sudden end or that peace will arrive quickly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
“The beauty of that is that a student almost has a one-on-one tutor,” McMahon said, explaining that AI programs can adjust instruction based on how quickly individual students are learning.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
A knock, Clare knew, that would not stay long if he did not move quickly.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
