Quicken

English

Verb

Quicken (third-person singular simple present Quickens, present participle Quickening, simple past and past participle Quickened)

1. (transitive, now literary) To give life to; to animate, make alive, revive.
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Luke XVII:

     Whosoever will goo about to save his lyfe, shall loose it: And whosoever shall loose his life, shall quycken it.

2. (intransitive, now literary) To come back to life, receive life.
3. (transitive) To make quicker; to hasten, speed up.

   I quickened my pace when I heard him approach.

4. (intransitive) To become faster.

   I quickened when I heard him approach.

Thesaurus

accelerate, activate, actuate, advance, advantage, aid, animate, arouse, awake, awaken, be begotten, be born, be incarnated, boost, brace, brace up, breathe life into, bring into being, bring into existence, bring to life, brisk, brisken, buck up, bundle, bustle, call into being, call into existence, cheer, chirk up, clear the way, come alive, come into being, come into existence, come to, come to life, conceive, conduce to, contribute to, crack on, crowd, cultivate, dispatch, drive on, dynamize, ease, electrify, encourage, endow with life, energize, enliven, excite, exhilarate, expedite, explain, facilitate, favor, fillip, fire, fortify, forward, fresh up, freshen, freshen up, further, gain ground, galvanize, give birth, give life to, goad, grease, grease the ways, grease the wheels, haste, hasten, hasten on, hearten, help along, hie on, hurry, hurry along, hurry on, hurry up, hustle, hustle up, induce, inflame, infuse life into, inspirit, invigorate, jazz up, kindle, lend wings to, live again, liven, loose, lubricate, make clear, make for, make sensitive, make way for, motivate, move, oil, open the throttle, open the way, open up, pave the way, pep up, perk up, pick up, pick up speed, pique, precipitate, prepare the way, press, promote, provoke, push, push forward, push on, push through, put forward, put on, put on steam, race, railroad through, reanimate, recreate, refine, refresh, refreshen, regale, reinvigorate, remove friction, renew, resurge, resuscitate, return to life, rev, revive, revivify, rise again, rouse, run interference for, rush, rush along, see the light, sensibilize, sensitize, set forward, set up, shake up, sharpen, simplify, smooth, smooth the way, snap up, soap the ways, spark, speed, speed along, speed up, spur, stampede, step on it, step up, stimulate, stir, unbar, unblock, unclog, unjam, urge, vitalize, vivify, wake, warm, whet, whip, whip along, zip up

Etymology

From quick. Compare Swedish kvickna, Danish kvikne.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈkwɪkən/
• Rhymes: -ɪkən