quicksand

Q10U1I1C3K5S1A1N1D2
US/ˈkwɪkˌsænd/

noun

Wet sand that appears firm but in which things readily sink, often found near rivers or coasts.

“the quicksands of youth”

Similar
syrtissyrt
OriginMiddle English quyksande ← Old English cwecesand →
UncommonScrabble 25
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Meanings

nounquicksand (countable and uncountable, plural quicksands)

plural quicksands

  1. countableuncountableWet sand that appears firm but in which things readily sink, often found near rivers or coasts.

    My feet were firmly lodged in the quicksand, and the more I struggled the more I sank into it.

    Synonyms: syrtis, syrt

  2. countablefigurativelyuncountableAnything that metaphorically pulls one down or buries one; a treacherous, risky danger

    the quicksands of youth

Synonyms & antonyms

nounWet sand that appears firm but in which things readily sink, often found near rivers or coasts.

Similar
syrtissyrt
Also see
syrtis

Origin

  1. Old Englishcwecesand“quicksand”
  2. Middle Englishquyksande
  3. Englishquicksand

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.

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic رِمَال مُتَحَرِّكَة
  • رِمَال مُتَحَرِّكَة (rimāl mutaḥarrika)type of sand
Bengali চোরাবালি
  • চোরাবালি (cōrabali)type of sand
Bulgarian подвижен пясък
  • подвижен пясък (podvižen pjasăk)type of sand
Catalan sorramoll, sorra movedissa
  • sorramolltype of sand
  • sorra movedissatype of sand
  • arenes moventstype of sand
  • arenes movedissestype of sand
Chinese Mandarin 流沙
  • 流沙 (liúshā)type of sand
Czech tekutý písek
  • tekutý písektype of sand
Danish kviksand
  • kviksandtype of sand
Dutch drijfzand
  • drijfzandtype of sand
Esperanto movsablo, flusablo
  • movsablotype of sand
  • flusablotype of sand
Estonian vesiliiv
  • vesiliivtype of sand
Finnish juoksuhiekka
  • juoksuhiekkatype of sand
French sables mouvants
  • sables mouvantstype of sand
German Treibsand
  • Treibsandtype of sand
Greek κινούμενη άμμος
  • κινούμενη άμμος (kinoúmeni ámmos)type of sand
Hungarian futóhomok, föveny
  • futóhomoktype of sand
  • fövenytype of sand
  • süppedő, mocsaras talajtype of sand
Icelandic kviksandur, kviksyndi
  • kviksandurtype of sand
  • kviksynditype of sand
  • sandbleytatype of sand
Indonesian pasir isap
  • pasir isaptype of sand
Irish gaineamh súraic, gaineamh beo
  • gaineamh súraictype of sand
  • gaineamh beotype of sand
  • gaineamh reathatype of sand
Italian sabbie mobili
  • sabbie mobilitype of sand
Japanese 流砂
  • 流砂 (ryūsha)type of sand
Korean 유사
  • 유사 (yusa)type of sand
Malay pasir jerlus
  • pasir jerlustype of sand
Māori ōi
  • ōitype of sand
Norwegian Bokmål kvikksand
  • kvikksandtype of sand
Persian ماسه بادی
  • ماسه بادی (mâsse bâdi)type of sand
Polish kurzawka, ruchome piaski
  • kurzawkatype of sand
  • ruchome piaskitype of sand
Portuguese areia movediça
  • areia movediçatype of sand
Russian зыбу́чие пески́, зыбучий песок
  • зыбу́чие пески́ (zybúčije peskí)type of sand
  • зыбучий песок (zybučij pesok)type of sand
  • зыбун (zybun)type of sand
Spanish arenas movedizas
  • arenas movedizastype of sand
Swedish kvicksand
  • kvicksandtype of sand
Tagalog kuminoy
  • kuminoytype of sand
Thai ทรายดูด
  • ทรายดูด (saai-dùut)type of sand
Vietnamese cát lún
  • cát lúntype of sand
Welsh traeth gwyllt, traeth byw
  • traeth gwyllttype of sand
  • traeth bywtype of sand
Cite this entry
APA

quicksand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quicksand

MLA

“quicksand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quicksand. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quicksand,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quicksand.

Source: quicksand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.