Synonyms for quicken
- verb
- noun
Most common
sharpen energize enliven invigorate incite actuate revive accelerate
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Animate — senses relating to life or states of activity. To put (someone or something) in a state of activity or vigour…
animate, invigorate, stimulate, enliven, excite, sharpen, rouse, energize, energise UK, awaken, reinvigorate, arouse, inspire, wake, refresh, galvanize, galvanise UK, motivate, exalt, electrify, kindle, liven, perk up, thrill
2. Promote — senses relating to life or states of activity. To inspire or stimulate (an action, a feeling, etc.)
promote, incite, actuate, urge, facilitate, encourage, further, push, spur, advance, induce, stir up, drive, inflame, instigate, forward, provoke, engender, stir, goad, spark off, lash
3. Revive
revive, resuscitate, come to, re-animate, repair, re-create, renovate, revivify, renew
4. Accelerate — senses relating to speed. To make (something) quicker or faster; to hasten, speed up
accelerate, hasten, expedite, pick up speed, hurry up, hurry, dispatch, despatch UK
Noun
speed-up, step-up, twitch, put-on informal, witch grass, dog grass, couch grass, quack grass, mountain ash, filip, quickbeam, quitch, quitch grass, scutch grass
Definitions
- v. 1
Senses relating to life or states of activity. To put (someone or something) in a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to excite, to rouse.
- v. 2
Senses relating to life or states of activity. To inspire or stimulate (an action, a feeling, etc.).
- v. 3
Senses relating to speed. To make (something) quicker or faster; to hasten, speed up.
- n. 1
In full quicken tree: the European rowan, rowan, or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia).
Related words
- Word family
- quickener quickening
Choose the right word
To quicken, in the sense here considered, is to increase speed, move or cause to move more rapidly, as through more space or with, a greater number of motions in the same time. To facilitate is to quicken by making easy; to expedite is to quicken by removing hindrances.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- sharpen This pencil is blunt. Could you sharpen it, please?
- energize We need a campaign slogan that'll really energize the base.
- enliven I shall endeavor to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality.
- incite The speaker tried to incite the people to rebellion.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| quicken | rising | |
| sharpen | steady | |
| energize | rising | |
| enliven | steady | |
| invigorate | rising | |
| incite | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- fire2, wake1, push1, urge1, stir1, spur1, lash1, goad1
- 5 letters
- drive1, speed1, hurry2, renew2, rouse1, exalt2, liven2, filip2
- 6 letters
- repair2, kindle2, twitch1, thrill1, revive2, induce2, awaken3, excite2, incite2, arouse2, hasten2, vivify, quitch
- 7 letters
- further2, forward2, advance2, promote2, inspire2, refresh2, provoke2, animate3, sharpen2, inflame2, enliven3, actuate3
- 8 letters
- dispatch2, motivate3, renovate3, expedite3, energize3, despatch, engender3, energise, revivify
- 9 letters
- encourage3, stimulate3, instigate3, electrify4, galvanize3, galvanise, quickbeam
- 10 letters
- facilitate4, accelerate4, invigorate4
- 11 letters
- resuscitate4
- 12 letters
- reinvigorate5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (fire2 = 2 syllables).