different between quick vs pretty
quick
English
Alternative forms
- kwik (eye dialect)
Etymology
From Middle English quik, quic, from Old English cwic (“alive”), from Proto-West Germanic *kwik(k)w, from Proto-Germanic *kwikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *g?ih?wós (“alive”), from *g?eyh?- (“to live”), *g?eyh?w- (“to live”).
Cognate with Dutch kwik, kwiek, German keck, Swedish kvick; and (from Indo-European) with Ancient Greek ???? (bíos, “life”), Latin vivus, Lithuanian gývas (“alive”), Latvian dz?vs (“alive”), Russian ?????? (živój), Welsh byw (“alive”), Irish beo (“alive”), biathaigh (“feed”), Northern Kurdish jîn (“to live”), jiyan (“life”), giyan (“soul”), can (“soul”), Sanskrit ??? (j?va, “living”), Albanian nxit (“to urge, stimulate”). Doublet of jiva.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kw?k/, [k?w??k]
- Rhymes: -?k
Adjective
quick (comparative quicker, superlative quickest)
- Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or capable of doing so; rapid; fast.
- Occurring in a short time; happening or done rapidly.
- Lively, fast-thinking, witty, intelligent.
- Mentally agile, alert, perceptive.
- Of temper: easily aroused to anger; quick-tempered.
- 1549, Hugh Latimer, The Sixth Sermon Preached Before King Edward, April 6 1549
- The bishop was somewhat quick with them, and signified that he was much offended.
- 1549, Hugh Latimer, The Sixth Sermon Preached Before King Edward, April 6 1549
- (archaic) Alive, living.
- 1633, George Herbert, The Temple
- Man is no star, but a quick coal / Of mortal fire.
- 1874, James Thomson, The City of Dreadful Night, X
- The inmost oratory of my soul,
- Wherein thou ever dwellest quick or dead,
- Is black with grief eternal for thy sake.
- 1633, George Herbert, The Temple
- (now rare, archaic) Pregnant, especially at the stage where the foetus's movements can be felt; figuratively, alive with some emotion or feeling.
- Section 316, Penal Code (Cap. 224, 2008 Ed.) (Singapore)
- Whoever does any act under such circumstances that if he thereby caused death he would be guilty of culpable homicide, and does by such act cause the death of a quick unborn child, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.
- 2012, Jerry White, London in the Eighteenth Century, Bodley Head 2017, p. 385:
- When sentenced she sought to avoid hanging by declaring herself with child – ironically, given her favourite deception – but a ‘jury of Matrons’ found her not quick.
- Section 316, Penal Code (Cap. 224, 2008 Ed.) (Singapore)
- Of water: flowing.
- Burning, flammable, fiery.
- Fresh; bracing; sharp; keen.
- (mining, of a vein of ore) productive; not "dead" or barren
Synonyms
- (moving with speed): fast, speedy, rapid, swift; see also Thesaurus:speedy
- (occurring in a short time): brief, momentary, short-lived; see also Thesaurus:ephemeral
- (fast-thinking): bright, droll, keen; see also Thesaurus:witty or Thesaurus:intelligent
- (easily aroused to anger): hotheaded, rattish, short-tempered, snippish, snippy
- (alive, living): extant, live, vital; see also Thesaurus:alive
- (pregnant): expecting, gravid, with child; see also Thesaurus:pregnant
- (flowing): fluent, fluminous; see also Thesaurus:flowing
Antonyms
- (moving with speed): slow
- (alive): dead
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Adverb
quick (comparative quicker, superlative quickest)
- Quickly, in a quick manner.
- If we consider how very quick the actions of the mind are performed.
Derived terms
- right quick
Translations
Noun
quick (plural quicks)
- Raw or sensitive flesh, especially that underneath finger and toe nails.
- Plants used in making a quickset hedge
- 1641, John Evelyn, diary entry September 1641
- The works […] are curiously hedged with quick.
- 1641, John Evelyn, diary entry September 1641
- The life; the mortal point; a vital part; a part susceptible to serious injury or keen feeling.
- 1550, Hugh Latimer, Sermon Preached at Stamford, 9 October 1550
- This test nippeth, […] this toucheth the quick.
- How feebly and unlike themselves they reason when they come to the quick of the difference!
- 1550, Hugh Latimer, Sermon Preached at Stamford, 9 October 1550
- Quitchgrass.
- (cricket) A fast bowler.
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
quick (third-person singular simple present quicks, present participle quicking, simple past and past participle quicked)
- (transitive) To amalgamate surfaces prior to gilding or silvering by dipping them into a solution of mercury in nitric acid.
- (transitive, archaic, poetic) To quicken.
- 1917', Thomas Hardy, At the Word 'Farewell
- I rose as if quicked by a spur I was bound to obey.
- 1917', Thomas Hardy, At the Word 'Farewell
References
- quick in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- quick in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- quick at OneLook Dictionary Search
French
Etymology
From English.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kwik/
- Rhymes: -ik
Noun
quick m (plural quicks)
- quick waltz
See also
- slow
German
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle Low German quick, from Old Saxon quik, from Proto-West Germanic *kwik(k)w, from Proto-Germanic *kwikwaz; also a Central Franconian form. Doublet of keck, which see for more.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kv?k/, [k??k]
Adjective
quick (comparative quicker, superlative am quicksten)
- (rather rare, dated) lively
Usage notes
- Much more common than the simplex is the pleonastic compound quicklebendig.
Declension
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “quick” in Duden online
- “quick” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
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- what quick release do i need
- what quick ratio is good
pretty
English
Alternative forms
- pooty, purdy (nonstandard)
- pratty (dialectal)
- prettie, pretie (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English prety, preti, praty, prati, from Old English prætti? (“tricky, crafty, sly, cunning, wily, astute”), from Proto-Germanic *prattugaz (“boastful, sly, slick, deceitful, tricky, cunning”), corresponding to prat (“trick”) +? -y. Cognate with Dutch prettig (“nice, pleasant”), Low German prettig (“funny”), Icelandic prettugur (“deceitful, tricky”). For the sense-development, compare canny, clever, cute.
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /?p??ti/
- (US, dialectal) IPA(key): /?p?ti/
- (US, rare) IPA(key): /?p??ti/
- Rhymes: -?ti
Adjective
pretty (comparative prettier, superlative prettiest)
- Pleasant to the sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children, but less strikingly than something beautiful. [from 15th c.]
- 2010, Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 4 Feb 2010:
- To escape a violent beating from sailors to whom he has sold a non-functioning car, Jerry takes his stepfamily for a holiday in a trailer park miles away, where, miraculously, young Nick meets a very pretty young woman called Sheeni, played by Portia Doubleday.
- 2010, Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 4 Feb 2010:
- Of objects or things: nice-looking, appealing. [from 15th c.]
- 2010, Lia Leendertz, The Guardian, 13 Feb 2010:
- 'Petit Posy' brassicas […] are a cross between kale and brussels sprouts, and are really very pretty with a mild, sweet taste.
- 2010, Lia Leendertz, The Guardian, 13 Feb 2010:
- (often derogatory) Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance; see petty. [from 15th c.]
- 1962, "New Life for the Liberals", Time, 28 Sep 1962:
- Damned by the Socialists as "traitors to the working class," its leaders were decried by Tories as "faceless peddlers of politics with a pretty little trinket for every taste."
- 1962, "New Life for the Liberals", Time, 28 Sep 1962:
- Cunning; clever, skilful. [from 9th c.]
- (dated) Moderately large; considerable. [from 15th c.]
- 2004, "Because They're Worth it", Time, 26 Jan 04:
- "What did you do to your hair?" The answer could be worth a pretty penny for L'Oreal.
- 2004, "Because They're Worth it", Time, 26 Jan 04:
- (dated) Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.). [from 16th c.]
- 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, Boston 1867, page 75:
- Some people are surprised, I believe, that that the eldest was not [named after his father], but Isabella would have him named Henry, which I thought very pretty of her.
- 1919, Saki, ‘The Oversight’, The Toys of Peace:
- ‘This new fashion of introducing the candidate's children into an election contest is a pretty one,’ said Mrs. Panstreppon; ‘it takes away something from the acerbity of party warfare, and it makes an interesting experience for the children to look back on in after years.’
- 1926, Ernest Hemingway, The sun also rises, page 251:
- "Oh, Jake." Brett said, "we could have had such a damned good time together." Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me. "Yes", I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?"
- 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, Boston 1867, page 75:
- (ironic) Awkward, unpleasant. [from 16th c.]
- 1931, "Done to a Turn", Time, 26 Jan 1931:
- His sadistic self-torturings finally landed him in a pretty mess: still completely married, practically sure he was in love with Tillie, he made dishonorable proposals of marriage to two other women.
- 1877 "Black Beauty", Anna Sewell
- A pretty thing it would be if a man of business had to examine every cab-horse before he hired it
- 1931, "Done to a Turn", Time, 26 Jan 1931:
Antonyms
- ugly
Derived terms
Translations
Further reading
- Pretty in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
Adverb
pretty (not comparable)
- Somewhat, fairly, quite; sometimes also (by meiosis) very.
- 1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of Sally Salisbury, V:
- By the Sheets you have sent me to peruse, the Account you have given of her Birth and Parentage is pretty exact [...].
- 1859, Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, I:
- It seems pretty clear that organic beings must be exposed during several generations to the new conditions of life to cause any appreciable amount of variation [...].
- 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, page 539:
- The Revolutionary decade was a pretty challenging time for business.
- 1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of Sally Salisbury, V:
- (dialect) Prettily, in a pretty manner.
Usage notes
- When particularly stressed, the adverb pretty serves almost to diminish the adjective or adverb that it modifies, by emphasizing that there are greater levels of intensity.
Derived terms
- pretty much
- pretty well
Translations
Noun
pretty (plural pretties)
- A pretty person; a term of address to a pretty person.
- 1939, Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, The Wizard of Oz
- I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!
- 1939, Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, The Wizard of Oz
- Something that is pretty.
- We'll stop at the knife store and look at the sharp pretties.
Verb
pretty (third-person singular simple present pretties, present participle prettying, simple past and past participle prettied)
- To make pretty; to beautify
Derived terms
- pretty up
Anagrams
- Pettry
pretty From the web:
- what pretty little liars character am i
- what pretty pants in spanish
- what pretty means
- what pretty grass in spanish
- what pretty eyes you have
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- what pretty oracles nature yields
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