quicken

verb

quick·​en ˈkwi-kən 

quickened; quickening ˈkwi-kə-niŋ 

ˈkwik-niŋ

transitive verb

1

a

: to make alive : revive

b

: to cause to be enlivened : stimulate

2

archaic

a

: kindle

b

: to cause to burn more intensely

3

: to make more rapid : hasten, accelerate

quickened her steps

4

a

: to make (a curve) sharper

b

: to make (a slope) steeper

intransitive verb

1

: to quicken something

2

: to come to life

especially : to enter into a phase of active growth and development

seeds quickening in the soil

3

: to reach the stage of gestation at which fetal motion is felt

4

: to shine more brightly

watched the dawn quickening in the east

5

: to become more rapid

her pulse quickened at the sight

quickener

ˈkwi-kə-nər 

ˈkwik-nər

noun

Synonyms

• accelerate
• bundle
• fast-track
• hasten
• hurry
• rush
• speed (up)
• whisk

Choose the Right Synonym for quicken

quicken, animate, enliven, vivify mean to make alive or lively.

quicken stresses a sudden renewal of life or activity especially in something inert.

the arrival of spring quickens the earth

animate emphasizes the imparting of motion or vitality to what is or might be mechanical or artificial.

happiness animated his conversation

enliven suggests a stimulus that arouses from dullness or torpidity.

enlivened her lectures with humorous anecdotes

vivify implies a freshening or energizing through renewal of vitality.

new blood needed to vivify the dying club

synonyms see in addition provoke

Examples of quicken in a Sentence

Stimulants can quicken the heart rate.

His pulse quickened at the thought of seeing her again.

The approach of the deadline quickened our sense of urgency.

The drama quickened when police arrived at the scene.

Recent Examples on the Web

Used cars, shelter and transportation cost increases also played a role in quickening price growth for the month, noted Elizabeth Renter, senior economist at NerdWallet. —Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025

The science is in on that: red quickens the pulse and sticks in the memory as no other color does—an echo, probably, of a time when detecting blood and ripe fruit was a more pressing evolutionary concern. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

Yet, leaders have an obligation to their teams, businesses and stakeholders to quicken their pace regarding AI. —Robert Logemann, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

One indisputable result of the quickening pace of innovation is the increasing amount of global economic activity that revolves around engaging consumers in some form of media — whether a TV show or a TikTok feed or a live virtual concert staged within a Fortnite video game. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for quicken

• chicken
• likin
• sicken
• stricken
• thicken
• indican

Kids Definition

quicken

verb

quick·​en ˈkwik-ən 

quickened; quickening -(ə-)niŋ 

1

a

: to make or become alive : revive

warm spring days that quickened the earth

b

: arouse sense 2, stimulate

curiosity quickened her interest

2

: to make or become quicker : hasten

quickened her steps

3

a

: to begin growth and development

seeds quickening in the soil

b

: to reach the stage of fetal growth at which motion is begun

Medical Definition

quicken

intransitive verb

quick·​en ˈkwik-ən 

quickened; quickening -(ə-)niŋ 

: to reach the stage of gestation at which fetal motion is felt