pretty quick

USAGE SUMMARY

"pretty quick" is a common and correct phrase in written English.
It is often used informally to describe something that happened or will happen at a fast pace. Example: "I need these reports finished pretty quick, so can you please work on them as soon as possible?".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sports

General Conversation

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

That was pretty quick.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Your heart sinks pretty quick".

The New York Times - Sports

"I do that pretty quick.

The Guardian - Music

"That's a pretty quick d.l.

The New York Times - Sports

Everything came back pretty quick".

The New York Times - Sports

That's a pretty quick turnaround.

The Guardian - Tech

Still, most are pretty quick.

The New York Times - Food

"It happened pretty quick yesterday," Rolston said.

The New York Times

They're pretty quick about getting your food.

The New York Times

"It's pretty quick with the 4-speed.

The New York Times

I did that pretty quick right there".

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "pretty quick" in contexts where you want to convey a sense of speed or efficiency without being overly formal. It works well in casual conversations, news reporting, and sports commentary.

Common error

Avoid using "pretty quick" in academic papers or formal business reports. Opt for more professional alternatives like "quickly", "rapidly", or "expeditiously" to maintain a serious tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "pretty quick" functions as an adverbial modifier, describing the manner in which an action is performed. It indicates the speed or pace of the action, emphasizing that it happens at a relatively fast rate. Ludwig confirms its usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Sports

30%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "pretty quick" is a common and acceptable way to describe something that happens or is done relatively fast. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is grammatically correct and used across various contexts, particularly in news, sports, and general conversation. While it's suitable for informal and neutral settings, more formal alternatives like "rapidly" or "expeditiously" are preferred in academic or business writing. The phrase functions as an adverbial modifier, emphasizing the speed or efficiency of an action, and conveys a sense of immediacy or swiftness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rather fast

Replaces "pretty" with "rather", maintaining a similar level of emphasis on speed.

quite rapidly

Substitutes both words to create a slightly more formal tone while still indicating speed.

fairly swiftly

Employs synonyms for both words to convey the same meaning with a slightly different nuance.

in short order

Uses an idiomatic expression to indicate that something will happen or be done quickly.

with dispatch

Replaces the original phrase with a more formal term emphasizing speed and efficiency.

at a rapid pace

Shifts the structure to a prepositional phrase, focusing on the rate at which something occurs.

in a timely manner

Indicates speed within an expected timeframe, adding a sense of appropriateness.

posthaste

Utilizes an archaic term to emphasize urgency and immediate action.

expeditiously

Replaces both words with a single adverb emphasizing efficiency and speed in a formal context.

lickety-split

Uses a slang term to describe something done extremely quickly.

FAQs

How can I use "pretty quick" in a sentence?

You can use "pretty quick" to describe how fast something happens. For example: "The ambulance arrived "pretty quick" after the accident" or "He learned the new software "pretty quick"".

What does "pretty quick" mean?

"Pretty quick" means something happens or is done relatively fast. It's an informal way of saying something is speedy or efficient.

What can I say instead of "pretty quick"?

You can use alternatives like "rather fast", "quite rapidly", or "fairly swiftly" depending on the context.

Is "pretty quick" appropriate for formal writing?

While "pretty quick" is widely understood, it's generally better to use more formal alternatives like "rapidly" or "expeditiously" in academic or business writing.