brisk

• POS: Adjective

CIDE DICTIONARY

brisk, a. [Cf. W. brysg, fr. brys haste, Gael. briosg quick, lively, Ir. broisg a start, leap, jerk.].

•  Full of liveliness and activity; characterized by quickness of motion or action; lively; spirited; quick.  [1913 Webster]

  "Cheerily, boys; be brick awhile."  [1913 Webster]

  "Brisk toil alternating with ready ease."  [1913 Webster]
•  Full of spirit of life; effervescas, brick cider.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Active; lively; agile; alert; nimble; quick; sprightly; vivacious; gay; spirited; animated.

brisk, v. t. & i. 

 To make or become lively; to enliven; to animate; to take, or cause to take, an erect or bold attitude; -- usually with up.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

brisk, adj. & v.
--adj.
1 quick, lively, keen (a brisk pace; brisk trade).
2 enlivening (a brisk wind).
--v.tr. & intr. (often foll. by up) make or grow brisk.

Derivative

brisken v.tr. & intr. briskly adv. briskness n.

Etymology

prob. F brusque BRUSQUE

THESAURUS

brisk

Siberian, active, activist, activistic, acute, adroit, aeolian, aggressive, airish, airy, algid, alive, animated, arctic, astringent, below zero, biting, bitter, bitterly cold, blasty, bleak, blowy, blustering, blusterous, blustery, boreal, bouncing, bouncy, bracing, breezy, brief, brumal, bubbly, burning, busy, caustic, cheering, chill, chilly, chipper, cold, cold as charity, cold as death, cold as ice, cold as marble, cometary, cool, cordial, crisp, crispy, curried, cutting, drafty, dynamic, ebullient, effervescent, energetic, energizing, enterprising, enthusiastic, exhilarating, favonian, flashing, flawy, fleet, flickering, forceful, forcible, freezing, freezing cold, fresh, frigid, frisky, full of go, full of life, full of pep, gelid, glacial, go-go, gusty, hearty, hibernal, hiemal, high-seasoned, hot, hot as pepper, hyperborean, ice-cold, ice-encrusted, icelike, icy, impetuous, incisive, inclement, intense, invigorating, keen, kinetic, live, lively, living, lusty, mercurial, meteoric, mettlesome, militant, nimble, nipping, nippy, numbing, penetrating, peppery, peppy, perky, pert, piercing, pinching, puffy, quick, quicksilver, racy, raw, refreshful, refreshing, regaling, rigorous, robust, rousing, seasoned, severe, sharp, short, short and sweet, short-term, short-termed, sleety, slushy, smacking, snappy, spanking, speedy, spiced, spicy, spirited, sprightly, spry, squally, stabbing, steady, stimulating, stinging, stone-cold, strenuous, strong, subzero, supercooled, swift, take-charge, take-over, tangy, tonic, trenchant, vibrant, vigorous, vivacious, vivid, volant, windy, winterbound, winterlike, wintery, wintry, with a kick, zestful, zesty, zingy, zippy

ROGET THESAURUS

brisk

Activity

N activity, briskness, liveliness, animation, life, vivacity, spirit, dash, energy, snap, vim, nimbleness, agility, smartness, quickness, velocity, alacrity, promptitude, despatch, dispatch, expedition, haste, punctuality, eagerness, zeal, ardor, perfervidum aingenium, empressement, earnestness, intentness, abandon, vigor, devotion, exertion, industry, assiduity, assiduousness, sedulity, laboriousness, drudgery, painstaking, diligence, perseverance, indefatigation, habits of business, vigilance, wakefulness, sleeplessness, restlessness, insomnia, pervigilium, insomnium, racketing, movement, bustle, stir, fuss, ado, bother, pottering, fidget, fidgetiness, flurry, officiousness, dabbling, meddling, interference, interposition, intermeddling, tampering with, intrigue, press of business, no sinecure, plenty to do, many irons in the fire, great doings, busy hum of men, battle of life, thick of the action, housewife, busy bee, new brooms, sharp fellow, sharp blade, devotee, enthusiast, zealot, meddler, intermeddler, intriguer, busybody, pickthank, hummer, hustler, live man, rustler, active, brisk, brisk as a lark, brisk as a bee, lively, animated, vivacious, alive, alive and kicking, frisky, spirited, stirring, nimble, nimble as a squirrel, agile, light-footed, nimble-footed, featly, tripping, quick, prompt, yare, instant, ready, alert, spry, sharp, smart, fast, quick as a lamplighter, expeditious, awake, broad awake, go-ahead, live wide-awake, forward, eager, strenuous, zealous, enterprising, in earnest, resolute, industrious, assiduous, diligent, sedulous, notable, painstaking, intent, indefatigable, unwearied, unsleeping, never tired, plodding, hard-working, businesslike, workaday, bustling, restless, restless as a hyena, fussy, fidgety, pottering, busy, busy as hen with one chicken, working, at work, on duty, in harness, up in arms, on one's legs, at call, up and doing, up and stirring, busy, occupied, hard at work, hard at it, up to one's ears in, full of business, busy as a bee, busy as a one-armed paperhanger, meddling, meddlesome, pushing, officious, overofficious, intrigant, astir, stirring, agoing, afoot, on foot, in full swing, eventful, on the alert, actively, with life and spirit, with might and main &c, with haste, with wings, full tilt, in mediis rebus, Int, be alive, look alive, look sharp!, move on, push on!, keep moving!, go ahead!, stir your stumps!, age quod agis!, jaldi!, karo!, step lively!, carpe diem, seize the day, nulla dies sine linea, nec mora nec requies, the plot thickens, No sooner said than done, veni vidi vici, catch a weasel asleep, abends wird der Faule fleissig, dictum ac factum, schwere Arbeit in der Jugend ist sanfte Ruhe im Al, hard work in youth means soft rest in age, the busy hum of men.

Transientness

N transience, transientness, evanescence, impermanence, fugacity, caducity, mortality, span, nine days' wonder, bubble, Mayfly, spurt, flash in the pan, temporary arrangement, interregnum, velocity, suddenness, changeableness, transient, transient boarder, transient guest, transient, transitory, transitive, passing, evanescent, fleeting, cursory, short-lived, ephemeral, flying, fugacious, fugitive, shifting, slippery, spasmodic, instantaneous, momentaneous, temporal, temporary, provisional, provisory, deciduous, perishable, mortal, precarious, unstable, insecure, impermanent, brief, quick, brisk, extemporaneous, summary, pressed for time, sudden, momentary, temporarily, pro tempore, for the moment, for a time, awhile, en passant, in transitu, in a short time, soon, briefly, at short notice, on the point of, on the eve of, in articulo, between cup and lip, one's days are numbered, the time is up, here today and gone tomorrow, non semper erit aestas, eheu! fugaces labuntur anni, sic transit gloria mundi, a schoolboy's tale, the wonder of the hour!, dum loquimur fugerit invidia aetas, fugit hora, all that is transitory is but an illusion.

Physical Energy

N energy, physical energy, force, power, keenness, intensity, vigor, strength, elasticity, go, high pressure, fire, rush, acrimony, acritude, causiticity, virulence, poignancy, harshness, severity, edge, point, pungency, cantharides, seasoning, activity, agitation, effervescence, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, splutter, perturbation, stir, bustle, voluntary energy, quicksilver, resolution, exertion, excitation, strong, energetic, forcible, active, intense, deep-dyed, severe, keen, vivid, sharp, acute, incisive, trenchant, brisk, rousing, irritation, poignant, virulent, caustic, corrosive, mordant, harsh, stringent, double-edged, double-shotted, double- distilled, drastic, escharotic, racy, potent, radioactive, strongly, fortiter in re, with telling effect, the steam is up, vires acquirit eundo, the race by vigor not by vaunts is won.