quicken

Definition of quickennext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word quicken distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of quicken are animate, enliven, and vivify. While all these words 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

In what contexts can animate take the place of quicken?

The words animate and quicken can be used in similar contexts, but animate emphasizes the imparting of motion or vitality to what is or might be mechanical or artificial.

happiness animated his conversation

When is it sensible to use enliven instead of quicken?

Although the words enliven and quicken have much in common, enliven suggests a stimulus that arouses from dullness or torpidity.

enlivened her lectures with humorous anecdotes

When could vivify be used to replace quicken?

The words vivify and quicken are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vivify implies a freshening or energizing through renewal of vitality.

new blood needed to vivify the dying club

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quicken Ronen Tanchum Imagine being able to influence the weather merely by quickening your steps, lifting an arm or spinning around. Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026 Ottawa has not yet revealed which foreign drug authorities or which classes of drugs will be subject to the change, outlined in a draft ministerial order designed to quicken the pace of pharmaceutical approvals in Canada. Ed Silverman, STAT, 21 Jan. 2026 Perhaps this is the new normal for a luxury industry in flux, transformed by economic headwinds, a quickening innovation cycle, and a young generation of consumers disillusioned with the status quo. Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026 Others take on last-minute babysitting gigs for friends and feel their pulses quicken when someone calls in distress—reactions that might look, to the untrained eye, like ordinary kindness. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quicken
Verb
  • The event saw several European leaders and policymakers reiterate the need for greater defense spending to accelerate the continent's strategic autonomy, with discussions of a common nuclear shield.
    Hugh Leask, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Its members are pushing legislation to accelerate encampment sweeps and eliminate a longstanding local requirement that the city offer shelter to residents when forcing them to move.
    Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Then, they are manually placed on Multi Electrode Arrays (MEAs), a grid of tiny electrodes on a biocompatible substrate chip that records and stimulates neurons using 32 electrodes grouped into four sets of eight.
    Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
  • To wit, lymphatic brushes join the ranks of depuffing tools like gua shas, face rollers, and dry brushes; most working to stimulate lymphatic drainage, your body’s natural detoxification process.
    Emily Orofino, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Allen instructed deputies to meet at a rallying point instead of rushing in.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Cool story, kicker from Marist and all, but five short field goals, none a game-winner, wasn’t trumping Kenneth Walker III’s 135 yards rushing.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Quicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quicken. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on quicken

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