Another Word for Quickly: 24 Fast and Useful Alternatives

• Fast — at high speed
• Rapidly — at a fast rate
• Swiftly — with great speed
• Promptly — without delay
• Speedily — very quickly
• Immediately — at once

The word “quickly” is used when something happens at a fast speed or without much delay. For example, you might say, “She quickly finished her homework” or “The car moved quickly down the road.” It is a common and useful word, but using the same word again and again can make your writing sound repetitive.

Learning other words for quickly can help students, English learners, writers, and speakers make their language more natural and precise. Some alternatives describe physical speed, while others focus on doing something without delay.

In this article, you will learn 24 useful alternatives for quickly, along with their meanings, parts of speech, examples, and differences in usage.

Meaning of Quickly

Definition and Part of Speech

Quickly means at a fast speed or within a short time.

Part of speech: Adverb

Example 1: The boy quickly ran toward the bus.
Example 2: She quickly completed her homework.

Connotative Meaning

Connotation means the feeling or idea associated with a word beyond its basic meaning.

Type	Connotation
Positive	Can suggest efficiency, energy, or alertness
Negative	Can suggest rushing or acting without enough care
Neutral	Simply describes something happening at speed

Etymology of Quickly

The word quickly comes from quick, which originally had meanings connected with being alive or living and later developed the meaning of being fast.

• Old English: cwic meant “alive” or “living.”
• Middle English: quik developed additional meanings related to being lively or active.
• Modern English: quick commonly means fast, while quickly means in a fast manner.

The suffix -ly changes the adjective quick into the adverb quickly.

Pronunciation of Quickly

Quickly: /ˈkwɪkli/

Syllables: quick-ly → 2 syllables

Affixation Pattern

The word quickly is formed by adding the suffix -ly to the adjective quick.

• Root: quick
• Prefix: none
• Suffix: -ly
• Adjective: quick
• Adverb: quickly

Examples:

• quick decision
• quick response
• quickly finished
• quickly moved

24 Other Words for Quickly With Meaning & Examples

1. Fast

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: At a high speed.

• The car was moving fast.
• She ran fast to catch the bus.

2. Rapidly

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: At a very fast rate.

• The temperature is rising rapidly.
• Technology is changing rapidly.

3. Swiftly

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: With great speed.

• The bird flew swiftly across the sky.
• She swiftly answered the question.

4. Promptly

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: Without delay.

• Please reply promptly.
• The doctor arrived promptly.

5. Speedily

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: Very quickly.

• The problem was solved speedily.
• The workers completed the task speedily.

6. Immediately

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: At once or without waiting.

• Call me immediately.
• She immediately understood the problem.

7. Hastily

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: Very quickly, often because there is little time.

• He hastily packed his bag.
• She hastily left the room.

8. Hurriedly

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: In a rushed manner.

• He hurriedly finished his breakfast.
• She hurriedly wrote the answer.

9. Rapid

Part of speech: Adjective
Meaning: Happening at a fast rate.

• The company experienced rapid growth.
• There was a rapid change in the weather.

Note: “Rapid” is an adjective, so it does not directly replace “quickly” in every sentence.

10. At Once

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Immediately.

• Come here at once.
• She started working at once.

11. In No Time

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Very soon or after a very short time.

• We finished the work in no time.
• He was ready in no time.

12. Before Long

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Soon.

• Before long, everyone was ready.
• The rain stopped before long.

13. Without Delay

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Immediately or without waiting.

• The issue was handled without delay.
• Please report the problem without delay.

14. In a Hurry

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Doing something with little time available.

• She left in a hurry.
• He finished the task in a hurry.

15. In a Flash

Part of speech: Idiomatic phrase
Meaning: Extremely quickly.

• The rabbit disappeared in a flash.
• She finished the puzzle in a flash.

16. In an Instant

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Almost immediately.

• The lights went out in an instant.
• He disappeared in an instant.

17. Right Away

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Immediately.

• I will do it right away.
• She called her mother right away.

18. Forthwith

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: Immediately; without delay.

• The order was carried out forthwith.
• The notice must be followed forthwith.

19. Posthaste

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: With great speed or urgency.

• The message was sent posthaste.
• He returned posthaste.

20. Expeditiously

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: In an efficient and prompt way.

• The request was handled expeditiously.
• The matter was resolved expeditiously.

21. Like Lightning

Part of speech: Simile / adverbial phrase
Meaning: Extremely fast.

• He ran like lightning.
• The cyclist moved like lightning.

22. Pronto

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: Quickly or immediately; informal.

• Finish the work pronto.
• Come back pronto.

23. At High Speed

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Moving or happening at a high rate of speed.

• The train was traveling at high speed.
• The machine operates at high speed.

24. With Haste

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Quickly and urgently.

• He completed the task with haste.
• They left the area with haste.

Important: These alternatives are not always interchangeable. Swiftly, rapidly, and speedily mainly describe speed. Promptly, immediately, and right away focus more on avoiding delay. Hastily and hurriedly can suggest rushing, while expeditiously is more formal and often suggests efficient action.

Prototype Meaning

The prototype meaning of “quickly” is doing something in a short amount of time or at a high speed.

For example:

“She quickly opened the door.”

The sentence shows that the action happened with little delay.

Prototype Categorization

Category	Alternatives
High speed	fast, rapidly, swiftly, speedily
No delay	promptly, immediately, at once, right away
Rushed action	hastily, hurriedly, in a hurry
Very short time	in no time, in a flash, in an instant
Formal	expeditiously, forthwith, posthaste
Informal	pronto, right away

This grouping makes it easier to choose the right alternative based on the exact meaning and tone.

Antonyms of Quickly

1. Slowly

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: At a low speed.

• The turtle moved slowly.
• Please speak slowly.

2. Gradually

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: Slowly over a period of time.

• The weather gradually became warmer.
• She gradually improved her skills.

3. Slowly but Surely

Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
Meaning: Making progress at a slow but steady rate.

• Slowly but surely, he completed the project.
• She is slowly but surely improving.

4. Eventually

Part of speech: Adverb
Meaning: After some time.

• He eventually found his keys.
• They eventually reached their destination.

Short Questions and Answers

What is another word for quickly?

Common alternatives include fast, rapidly, swiftly, promptly, speedily, and immediately.

What is a formal word for quickly?

Expeditiously and forthwith are formal alternatives.

What is an informal word for quickly?

Fast, pronto, and right away can work in informal contexts.

Is “fast” the same as “quickly”?

Often, yes. Fast describes high speed, while quickly can describe either speed or doing something in a short time.

What is another word for “quickly” in formal writing?

Depending on the context, use rapidly, promptly, swiftly, or expeditiously.

What is the opposite of quickly?

The most common opposite is slowly.

Conclusion

The word “quickly” is useful for describing fast actions, but English offers many alternatives that add more exact meaning. Words such as rapidly, swiftly, speedily, and fast focus on speed. Words like promptly, immediately, and right away focus on avoiding delay. If an action is rushed, hastily or hurriedly may be more accurate.

For formal writing, expeditiously or forthwith can sometimes be suitable. In casual English, phrases such as in no time, in a flash, and right away sound natural. Learning these differences will help you make your English more varied, clear, and precise.

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