quicken
quick·en/ˈkwɪk(ə)n/verb, noun
quicken is spelled Q-U-I-C-K-E-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables (quick·en). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,504th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, quicken means “To put (someone or something) in a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to excite, to rouse” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in quicken?
| Letters | 7: Q-U-I-C-K-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: quick·en |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,504th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is quicken?
Quicken appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,504th 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 quicken?
- US /ˈkwɪk(ə)n/
Quicken has 2 syllables, split quick·en in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-quicken.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of quicken
- quickens present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- quickening participle, present
- quickened participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does quicken mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To put (someone or something) in a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to excite, to rouse.
- 2
To inspire or stimulate (an action, a feeling, etc.).
- 3
To stimulate or assist the fermentation of (an alcoholic beverage, dough, etc.).
- 4
To give life to (someone or something never alive or once dead); to animate, to resurrect, to revive.
- 5
archaicTo make or help (something) to burn.
- 6
obsoleteTo make (a drug, liquor, etc.) more effective or stimulating.
- 7
obsoleteOf a pregnant woman: to be in the state of reaching the stage of pregnancy at which the movements of the foetus are first felt.
- 8
To take on a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to be excited or roused.
- 9
rareTo apply quicksilver (mercury) to (something); to combine (something) with quicksilver; to quicksilver.
noun
- 1
IrelandIn full quicken tree: the European rowan, rowan, or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia).
- 2
ScotlandSynonym of couch grass (“a species of grass, Elymus repens”); also (chiefly in the plural), the underground rhizomes of this, and sometimes other grasses.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Quicken in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to make (something) quicker – see also hasten, speed up:
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.