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Meaning & use

a quick study

noun·Advancedinformal

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UK/ə ˌkwɪk ˈstʌdi/
US/ə ˌkwɪk ˈstʌdi/

Meanings

  1. nounsingularinformal

    A person who learns new skills or information quickly and with little effort.

    Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase with 'a'; the plural is 'quick studies': 'Both interns are quick studies.'

    Patterns

    • be a quick study
    • a quick study at something
    • a quick study when it comes to something

    The new receptionist is a quick study, so she was handling the booking system by lunchtime.

    He's a quick study at languages and picked up enough Spanish for the trip in three weeks.

    Managers like her because she's a quick study who needs very little training.

  2. nouncountableinformal

    A short piece of work or a brief report done to gather first information on a subject.

    Grammar: Often appears in the phrase 'do a quick study of something', meaning a fast, informal look rather than full research.

    Patterns

    • do a quick study of something
    • a quick study of something

    We did a quick study of local prices before setting our own.

    Her quick study of the market showed that demand was rising.

Word forms

pluralquick studies

Common combinations

be a quick study
You don't need to explain twice; she's a quick study.
a quick study at something
He turned out to be a quick study at chess.
a quick study when it comes to something
She's a quick study when it comes to new software.
prove to be a quick study
The new hire proved to be a quick study and soon led the team.
a quick study who needs little training
They hired him because he's a quick study who needs little training.
do a quick study of something
Let's do a quick study of the numbers before the meeting.

Synonyms and how they differ

fast learner
This is plainer and more neutral, and it works in any situation; 'a quick study' sounds more informal and slightly American.
natural
A natural has an inborn talent for something, while a quick study simply picks things up fast, whether or not the talent is inborn.
apt pupil
This is more formal and old-fashioned, and it usually refers to a student in a class rather than a worker.

Opposites

slow learner

Word family

study verb
To spend time learning about a subject, often by reading.
studious adjective
Spending a lot of time studying and working carefully.
student noun
A person who is studying at a school or college.

Commonly confused: a quick study or quick learner? a quick study or fast track?

a quick study vs quick learner

This is the ordinary, neutral phrase with the same meaning and it fits formal writing better; 'a quick study' is informal and idiomatic.

a quick study vs fast track

A fast track is a quick route to a job or position, not a description of a person who learns fast.

Practice

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