The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - quicken v.

1) accelerate, hasten, speed up: As we neared the house, our pace quickened. 2) expedite, hurry, accelerate, hasten, speed (up) : We did everything we could to quicken her departure. 3) stimulate, arouse, kindle, spark, invigorate, excite, animate, vitalize, vivify, galvanize, enliven, awaken, energize, revive, resuscitate, reinvigorate: Olivia's inspiring lectures quickened the imagination of everyone who heard them.