Active refers to both quickness and constancy of action; in the former sense it is allied with agile, alert, brisk, etc.; in the latter, with busy, diligent, industrious.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

swift No one predicted the swift collapse of the regime.
nimble She then rose up and fled, as nimble as a deer.
spry Tom and Mary aren't as spry as they used to be.
sprightly Our best player is a real sprightly fellow.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
agile		rising
swift		rising
nimble		rising
spry		rising
sprightly		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: slim¹, spry¹
5 letters: ready², quick¹, smart¹, alert², fleet¹, swift¹, brisk¹, zippy², lithe¹
6 letters: active², lively², prompt¹, speedy², winged¹, nimble², snappy², supple², wieldy, featly
9 letters: mercurial⁴, sprightly²
11 letters: expeditious⁴
12 letters: effervescent⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (ready² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: agile
Italiano: agile
Español: ágil
Deutsch: gewandt
Català: àgil