Word.ws English Dictionary

quickening

quickening is the present participle and gerund of quicken.

Noun

quickening (plural quickenings)

  1. An increase of speed.
    • If the following guide lose his distance from the one leading (which can only happen by his own fault), he will correct himself by slightly lengthening or shortening a few steps, in order that there may not be sudden quickenings or slackenings in the march of his platoon.1861, United States. War Dept, U.S. Infantry Tactics, page 124
    • It resembled them in the sense that it was not ended, when it was past, but continued to unfold, in Watt's head, from beginning to end, over and over again, the complex connexions of its lights and shadows, the passing from silence to sound and from sound to silence, the stillness before the...1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC
  2. The action of bringing someone or something to life.
  3. The first noticeable movements of a foetus during pregnancy, or the period when this occurs.
  4. Stimulation, excitement (of a feeling, emotion etc.).
    • It may indeed be said that these days brought on a high quickening of Maisie's direct perceptions, of her sense of freedom to make out things for herself.1897 October 16, Henry James, What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC

Meaning of quicken

Verb

quicken (third-person singular simple present quickens, present participle quickening, simple past and past participle quickened)

  1. (transitive) To put (someone or something) in a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to excite, to rouse.
    • […] Italy had quickened Cecil, not to tolerance, but to irritation. He saw that the local society was narrow, but, instead of saying, "Does this very much matter?" he rebelled, and tried to substitute for it the society he called broad.1908, E[dward] M[organ] Forster, “Cecil as a Humourist”, in A Room with a View, London: Edward Arnold, →OCLC, part II, page 170
  2. (transitive) To inspire or stimulate (an action, a feeling, etc.).
    • For ſurely, a rich Land, guardleſs and undefended, muſt needs have been a double Incitement, and ſuch an one, as might not only admit, but even invite the Enemy. It was like a fruitful Garden, or a fair Vineyard without an Hedge, that quickens the Appetite to enjoy ſo tempting, and withal ſo eaſy a...1667; first published 1692, Robert South, “A Sermon Preached at the Consecration of a Chapel”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], volume I, London: […] J[ohn] H[eptinstall] for...
  3. (transitive) To stimulate or assist the fermentation of (an alcoholic beverage, dough, etc.).
  4. (also, figuratively, literary, transitive) To give life to (someone or something never alive or once dead); to animate, to resurrect, to revive.
    • Whoſoever will goo about to ſave his lyfe⸝ shall looſe it: And whoſoever ſhall looſe his life⸝ ſhall quycken it.1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, The Gospell off S. Luke xvij:[33], folio cv, verso
    Synonyms:
    enliven, vitalise, vivify
  5. (archaic, transitive) To make or help (something) to burn.
    • […] she
      Quickened the fire and laid the board, […]1870, William Morris, “December: The Fostering of Aslaug”, in The Earthly Paradise: A Poem, part IV, London: F[rederick] S[tartridge] Ellis, […], →OCLC, page 75
  6. (obsolete, transitive) To make (a drug, liquor, etc.) more effective or stimulating.
    • Coole Violets, and Orpine growing ſtill,
      Embathed Balme, and chearfull Galingale,
      Freſh Coſtmarie, and breathfull Camomill,
      Poppie, and drink-quickning Setuale, […]1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Muiopotmos, or The Fate of the Butterflie”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC

See all 20 meanings of quicken

Forms of quickening

pluralquickenings

Phrases with quickening

Questions about quickening

What does quickening mean?
Quickening means an increase of speed.
What is quickening the present participle and gerund of?
Quickening is the present participle and gerund of quicken.
What part of speech is quickening?
Quickening is a noun.
What is the plural of quickening?
The plural of quickening is quickenings.

Words near quickening in the dictionary

  1. quickenedst
  2. quickener
  3. quickeners
  4. quickenest
  5. quickeneth
  6. quickening
  7. quickening up
  8. quickeningly
  9. quickenings
  10. quickens
  11. quickens up

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: quickening (page history and authors); quicken (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “quickening.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/quickening. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.