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PlainSpell

brisk

/bɹɪsk/adjective, verb

brisk is spelled B-R-I-S-K: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, brisk means “Full of liveliness and activity; characterized by quickness of motion or action” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in brisk?

Letters5: B-R-I-S-K
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is brisk?

Brisk appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce brisk?

  • /bɹɪsk/

Brisk has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-brisk.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of brisk

  • brisker comparative
  • more brisk comparative
  • briskest superlative
  • most brisk superlative
  • brisks present, singular, he/she/it
  • brisking participle, present
  • brisked participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does brisk mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Full of liveliness and activity; characterized by quickness of motion or action.

    We took a brisk walk yesterday.

  2. 2

    Full of spirit of life; effervescing.

  3. 3

    archaicSparkling; fizzy.

    brisk cider

  4. 4

    Stimulating or invigorating.

    This morning was a brisk fall day. It wasn't cold enough for frost, but you wanted to keep moving.

  5. 5

    Abrupt, curt in one's manner or in relation to others.

    The service in that restaurant was brisk and impersonal.

verb

  1. 1

    To make or become lively; to enliven; to animate.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Brisk in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchanimé (full of liveliness and activity), vif (full of spirit of life), stimulant (stimulating or invigorating)
Germanlebhaft, rege, vital (full of liveliness and activity), anregend (stimulating or invigorating)
Portuguesevivo, vivaz, brioso (full of liveliness and activity), estimulante, revigorante (stimulating or invigorating), brusco (abrupt, sharp in one's manner or tone)
Spanishbrioso, enérgico (full of liveliness and activity), vital (full of spirit of life), vigorizante (stimulating or invigorating), brusco (abrupt, sharp in one's manner or tone)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does brisk come from?

Uncertain; probably a collateral form of brusque, but compare Irish briosc, Scottish Gaelic brisg, Welsh brys.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after brisk