noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈkwɪkˌsænd/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K W IH1 K S AE2 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Wet sand that appears firm but in which things readily sink, often found near rivers or coasts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
My feet were firmly lodged in the quicksand, and the more I struggled the more I sank into it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Anything that metaphorically pulls one down or buries one; a treacherous, risky danger
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable
Examples
the quicksands of youth
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a pit filled with loose wet sand into which objects are sucked down
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: pit, cavity
4
noun
Meaning 4
a treacherous situation that tends to entrap and destroy
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: situation
History
Etymology
From Middle English quyksande, from Old English cwecesand (“quicksand”), equivalent to quick (“living”) + sand. Cognate with Swedish kvicksand (“quicksand”), Icelandic kviksandur, kviksyndi (“quicksand”). More at quick, sand.
Across languages
Translations
62 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
رِمَال مُتَحَرِّكَة
(rimāl mutaḥarrika)
— type of sand
Bengali:
চোরাবালি
(cōrabali)
— type of sand
Bulgarian:
подвижен пясък
(podvižen pjasǎk)
— type of sand
Catalan:
sorramoll
— type of sand
Catalan:
sorra movedissa
— type of sand
Catalan:
arenes movents
— type of sand
Catalan:
arenes movedisses
— type of sand
Chinese Mandarin:
流沙
(liúshā)
— type of sand
Czech:
tekutý písek
— type of sand
Danish:
kviksand
— type of sand
Dutch:
drijfzand
— type of sand
Esperanto:
movsablo
— type of sand
Esperanto:
flusablo
— type of sand
Estonian:
vesiliiv
— type of sand
Finnish:
juoksuhiekka
— type of sand
French:
sables mouvants
— type of sand
Galician:
areas movedizas
— type of sand
Georgian:
ფხვიერი მიწა
(pxvieri mic̣a)
— type of sand
Georgian:
მცურავი ქვიშა
(mcuravi kviša)
— type of sand
German:
Treibsand
— type of sand
Greek:
κινούμενη άμμος
(kinoúmeni ámmos)
— type of sand
Hungarian:
futóhomok
— type of sand
Hungarian:
föveny
— type of sand
Hungarian:
süppedő, mocsaras talaj
— type of sand
Icelandic:
kviksandur
— type of sand
Icelandic:
kviksyndi
— type of sand
Icelandic:
sandbleyta
— type of sand
Indonesian:
pasir isap
— type of sand
Irish:
gaineamh súraic
— type of sand
Irish:
gaineamh beo
— type of sand
Irish:
gaineamh reatha
— type of sand
Italian:
sabbie mobili
— type of sand
Japanese:
流砂
(ryūsha)
— type of sand
Korean:
유사
(yusa)
— type of sand
Macedonian:
жив песок
(živ pesok)
— type of sand
Malay:
pasir jerlus
— type of sand
Māori:
ōi
— type of sand
Norman:
mouoilliéthe
— type of sand
Norwegian Bokmål:
kvikksand
— type of sand
Norwegian Nynorsk:
kvikksand
— type of sand
Norwegian Nynorsk:
kviksand
— type of sand
Old English:
cwecesand
— type of sand
Old English:
sandġeweorp
— type of sand
Old English:
sandrid
— type of sand
Persian:
ماسه بادی
(mâsse bâdi)
— type of sand
Plautdietsch:
Sauntloch
— type of sand
Polish:
kurzawka
— type of sand
Polish:
ruchome piaski
— type of sand
Portuguese:
areia movediça
— type of sand
Russian:
зыбу́чие пески́
(zybúčije peskí)
— type of sand
Russian:
зыбучий песок
(zybučij pesok)
— type of sand
