quickly

The word “quickly” means rapidly; at speed. In plain terms, in a fast manner, or without much delay.

“Quickly” is pronounced KWIHK-lee (/ˈkwɪkli/ in IPA).

Here is “quickly” used in a sentence: “He quickly gathered his things and left.”

Words with a similar meaning to “quickly” include apace, expeditiously, fast, hastily, hurriedly and posthaste.

The opposite of “quickly” — its antonyms — is slowly.

“Quickly” is an adverb.

The word “quickly” comes from Old English. From Old English cwiculīċe, built on "quick" (meaning "lively" or "alive") plus the adverb ending "-ly.".

“Quickly” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

Both describe high speed, but they behave differently in grammar. Fast is mainly used to describe how something moves — 'he runs fast' — and can act as an adjective too. Quickly is an adverb describing an action's speed and often its promptness — 'she quickly replied.' Quickly can also suggest doing something soon, not just at speed.

The opposite of quickly is slowly — at a low speed or unhurried pace. Other opposites include gradually, which stresses something happening bit by bit, and leisurely, which suggests a relaxed, unhurried manner. Where quickly implies speed and urgency, these words point to taking one's time.

You might say, 'She quickly grabbed her coat and left,' showing the action was done at speed. Other examples include 'the news spread quickly' or 'please reply quickly.' In each, quickly tells you the pace of the action — how fast, or how promptly, it was carried out.