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Glite Dictionary
quick on the draw

quick on the draw

2 5.6
Able to respond quickly under pressure
  • idiom
translation icon : rápido en reaccionar
  • For being so quick on the draw, I'm sending Nanyes a pair of 3-D glasses donated by Microsoft Research's WorldWide Telescope project.
  • as quick on the draw

Examples

  • She has always been quick on the draw.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Well, I'm pretty quick on the draw there, right?

    The Party (1968)

  • I was quick on the draw.

    The Party (1968)

  • Brandi is quick on the draw when someone attacks her and turns it around on the person.

    Blog text (32)

  • If you want to see Taylor Swift on her upcoming Red Tour, then you better be quick on the draw.

    Blog text (24)

  • I am surprised at EWTN; they have turned out to be embarrassingly quick on the draw to dismiss Fr. Groeschel and his year.

    Blog text (32)

  • Denouncing President Obama for insufficient hawkishness will stir some people up, but it may quietly reinforce the determination of many others to keep executive power out of the hands of a party that looks to be just a little bit too quick on the draw.

    Blog text (11)

  • In a heated debate, he was always quick on the draw with his arguments.

  • The paramedic was quick on the draw, responding to emergencies with impressive speed.

  • She is quick on the draw when it comes to solving difficult problems under pressure.

Synonyms

responsive
vsquick on the draw
61 4.0

React quickly and helpfully to people and things

focuses on immediate reaction under challenge rather than willing cooperation
on the ball
vsquick on the draw
  • Informal
9 5.6

Quick to notice and understand things

is more about fast response in pressure not general alertness
quick on one's feet
vsquick on the draw
4 5.2

Able to think and answer quickly in surprising or difficult situations

is about immediate reaction under pressure rather than thinking
quick off the mark
vsquick on the draw
  • UK
1 5.4

Fast to act or respond at the start of a situation

is about fast reactions in tense moments rather than early action
quick as a flash
vsquick on the draw
  • Informal
1 2.0

Happen very fast

is about reacting under pressure rather than pure speed
on it like a car bonnet
vsquick on the draw
  • Slang
9.9

Very quick to begin working on a task

is about rapid reaction under threat rather than intense focused attention

How Fast

immediate
570 1.3
rapid
295 1.3
quick on the draw
2 5.6
ready
∞ 1.0
cautious
210 2.9

Surface Forms

quick on the draw positive

Morphology

quick + on + the + draw

The adjective 'quick' clearly signals speed, and 'on the draw' historically refers to how fast someone can draw a weapon, so the overall sense 'able to react quickly' is related to the literal constituents. However, the specialised sense of 'draw' (draw a gun) and the idiomatic use of 'on the draw' may not be obvious to a B1 learner who only knows the basic senses of the words, making the relation partially transparent but requiring some cultural or idiomatic knowledge.

Etymology

Quick on the draw comes from old Western gunfights where being fast at your draw, or taking out your gun quickly, could save your life. So today, if someone is quick on the draw, they can 'react or respond quickly' in a sudden or tense situation.