- 1quickly Don't drive so fast! How fast were you going? I can't go any faster. The water was rising fast. Her heart beat faster. (formal) Night was fast approaching. a fast-flowing stream Which Word?quick / quickly / fast
- Quickly is the usual adverb from quick:I quickly realized that I was on the wrong train. My heart started to beat more quickly.
- Quick is sometimes used as an adverb in very informal language, especially as an exclamation:Come on! Quick! They’ll see us!Quicker is used more often:My heart started to beat much quicker. The quicker I get you away from here, the better.
- Fast is more often used when you are talking about the speed that someone or something moves at:How fast can a cheetah run? Can’t you drive any faster? You’re driving too quickly.There is no word fastly.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- 2in a short time; without delay Children grow up so fast these days. The United States is fast becoming a nation of fatties. The police said that they reacted as fast as they could.
- 3firmly; completely Within a few minutes she was fast asleep (= sleeping deeply). The boat was stuck fast (= unable to move) in the mud. There is no noun related to fast. Use speed in connection with vehicles, actions, etc.;quickness is used about thinking. Idioms
quickly
as quickly as you can
to continue to believe in an idea, etc. despite difficulties
to treat someone or something in a way that shows that you feel no responsibility or respect for them
to refuse to move back; to refuse to change your opinions
quickly and in large quantities Questions were coming at them thick and fast.
Check pronunciation: fast