Idioms are vibrant and dynamic expressions that infuse conversations with vivid imagery and cultural flair, making discussions about speed, haste, and quickness more engaging and colorful. They capture the essence of rapidity in actions, thoughts, or events, often with a touch of humor, urgency, or wisdom.
In this comprehensive listicle, we’ll explore 54 idioms related to the concept of “fast,” unravel their meanings, and illustrate how they can add zest to conversations about swiftness in various contexts. Whether you’re describing a rapid decision, a speedy task, or a fleeting moment, these idioms will help you articulate the experience with creativity and precision. Let’s dive into this extensive collection, break each idiom down, and discover how they can transform the way you talk about all things fast.
What is an Idiom for Fast?
Idioms for fast are figurative phrases that describe speed, quickness, or haste in actions, processes, or situations, often using metaphors or vivid imagery to convey the sense of urgency or efficiency. These expressions make conversations about rapid events or swift responses more engaging, relatable, and expressive, allowing us to capture the thrill or intensity of speed. Let’s explore each idiom and its unique perspective on fast:
Idioms for Fast
1. Quick as a Flash
Meaning: Extremely fast or instantaneous, often used to describe rapid movement or reaction.
In a Sentence: When the starting gun fired, she was off the blocks quick as a flash, leaving her competitors trailing far behind.
2. Like a Bat Out of Hell
Meaning: Moving extremely fast, often recklessly or with intense urgency.
In a Sentence: He drove like a bat out of hell to get to the hospital in time, weaving through traffic with unparalleled speed.
3. In the Blink of an Eye
Meaning: Happening so quickly that it seems almost instantaneous.
In a Sentence: The opportunity to invest in the startup vanished in the blink of an eye, as the funding round closed within hours.
4. Swift as an Arrow
Meaning: Moving with great speed and directness, like an arrow shot from a bow.
In a Sentence: The courier delivered the urgent package swift as an arrow, arriving at the office in record time.
5. Fast and Furious
Meaning: Happening rapidly and with intense energy or excitement.
In a Sentence: The debate between the candidates was fast and furious, with arguments flying back and forth at a dizzying pace.
6. Like Greased Lightning
Meaning: Extremely fast, often used to describe something or someone moving with incredible speed.
In a Sentence: The new sports car accelerated like greased lightning, reaching top speed in mere seconds on the open highway.
7. At Breakneck Speed
Meaning: Moving dangerously fast, often with a sense of risk or recklessness.
In a Sentence: The team worked at breakneck speed to meet the project deadline, barely pausing to eat or sleep for days.
8. In a Heartbeat
Meaning: Happening instantly or very quickly, often in response to a decision or action.
In a Sentence: She accepted the job offer in a heartbeat, thrilled at the chance to work for her dream company without hesitation.
9. Like a Shot
Meaning: Moving or acting very quickly, often with suddenness.
In a Sentence: When the fire alarm sounded, he was out the door like a shot, not wasting a second to ensure his safety.
10. Quick on the Draw
Meaning: Reacting or responding very quickly, often in a competitive or urgent situation.
In a Sentence: In the trivia contest, she was quick on the draw, buzzing in with the correct answer before anyone else could respond.
11. In No Time Flat
Meaning: Completed or achieved extremely quickly, without any delay.
In a Sentence: The chef prepared a gourmet meal in no time flat, impressing the guests with both speed and culinary skill.
12. Lickety-Split
Meaning: Very quickly or at a rapid pace, often with a playful tone.
In a Sentence: The kids cleaned their rooms lickety-split when they heard their parents promise ice cream as a reward.
13. Like the Wind
Meaning: Moving with great speed, often gracefully or effortlessly.
In a Sentence: The champion cyclist sped through the racecourse like the wind, leaving her rivals struggling to keep up.
14. At Lightning Speed
Meaning: Extremely fast, likened to the speed of a lightning bolt.
In a Sentence: The new algorithm processed the data at lightning speed, delivering results in a fraction of the expected time.
15. Faster Than a Speeding Bullet
Meaning: Incredibly fast, often used to emphasize superhuman or extraordinary speed.
In a Sentence: The superhero dashed to the rescue faster than a speeding bullet, saving the day before anyone could blink.
16. In Double-Quick Time
Meaning: Extremely fast, often with a sense of urgency or efficiency.
In a Sentence: The soldiers marched in double-quick time to reach the rendezvous point before the enemy could intercept them.
17. Like a House on Fire
Meaning: Happening rapidly and with great intensity or enthusiasm, often in a collaborative context.
In a Sentence: The team tackled the group project like a house on fire, completing it in half the time allocated.
18. Quick as a Wink
Meaning: Happening or done very quickly, almost instantaneously.
In a Sentence: She solved the puzzle quick as a wink, astonishing her friends with her sharp problem-solving skills.
19. At Full Tilt
Meaning: Moving or acting at maximum speed or effort.
In a Sentence: The factory operated at full tilt to meet the sudden surge in demand, with machines running around the clock.
20. In a Jiffy
Meaning: Very quickly or in a short amount of time.
In a Sentence: He promised to fix the computer glitch in a jiffy, and true to his word, it was up and running within minutes.
21. Like Nobody’s Business
Meaning: Extremely fast or with great intensity, often used for emphasis.
In a Sentence: She typed up the report like nobody’s business, finishing the 10-page document in under an hour.
22. At the Drop of a Hat
Meaning: Acting or responding instantly, without hesitation or preparation.
In a Sentence: He was ready to join the adventure at the drop of a hat, packing his bag the moment the invitation arrived.
23. Quick Off the Mark
Meaning: Starting or reacting very quickly, often in a competitive situation.
In a Sentence: The startup was quick off the mark, launching its product before competitors could even finalize their prototypes.
24. In the Nick of Time
Meaning: Happening or arriving just before it’s too late, at the last possible moment.
In a Sentence: The paramedics arrived in the nick of time, stabilizing the patient just as the situation became critical.
25. Like a Rocket
Meaning: Moving extremely fast, often with a sense of upward or explosive motion.
In a Sentence: The stock market surged like a rocket after the company announced its groundbreaking innovation to investors.
26. Fast as All Get-Out
Meaning: Extremely fast, often used informally for emphasis.
In a Sentence: The new internet connection was fast as all get-out, downloading massive files in mere seconds without a hitch.
27. On the Double
Meaning: Very quickly, often with a sense of urgency or command.
In a Sentence: The coach shouted for the team to get to the field on the double, eager to start practice before the rain arrived.
28. In a New York Minute
Meaning: Extremely quickly, emphasizing the fast-paced nature of life in New York.
In a Sentence: She made up her mind to relocate in a New York minute, packing her bags and booking a flight the same day.
29. Like a Streak
Meaning: Moving very fast, often in a straight line or with a fleeting presence.
In a Sentence: The cheetah chased its prey like a streak across the savanna, disappearing into the distance in seconds.
30. At a Clip
Meaning: Moving or progressing at a fast pace.
In a Sentence: The construction crew worked at a clip, finishing the building’s foundation weeks ahead of schedule.
31. Quick as Lightning
Meaning: Extremely fast, often with a sense of suddenness or unpredictability.
In a Sentence: His reflexes were quick as lightning, catching the falling vase before it could shatter on the floor.
32. In a Snap
Meaning: Happening very quickly or easily, often without effort.
In a Sentence: She whipped up a delicious dinner in a snap, surprising her guests with her culinary speed and skill.
33. Like Hot Cakes
Meaning: Happening or selling very quickly, often due to high demand.
In a Sentence: The limited-edition sneakers sold like hot cakes, disappearing from the shelves within minutes of the launch.
34. At Warp Speed
Meaning: Extremely fast, often with a futuristic or exaggerated sense of velocity.
In a Sentence: The tech company developed its new app at warp speed, rolling out updates faster than anyone expected.
35. In a Flash
Meaning: Happening very quickly, often with a sense of suddenness.
In a Sentence: The magician made the rabbit disappear in a flash, leaving the audience gasping in amazement at his speed.
36. Like a Bullet
Meaning: Moving extremely fast and directly, often with force.
In a Sentence: The sprinter shot out of the starting blocks like a bullet, dominating the race from the very first second.
37. Quick on Your Feet
Meaning: Able to think or react very quickly, often in challenging situations.
In a Sentence: During the heated debate, she was quick on her feet, countering every argument with sharp and swift responses.
38. In the Fast Lane
Meaning: Living or operating at a fast, often high-pressure or exciting pace.
In a Sentence: Her career in the tech industry kept her in the fast lane, constantly juggling projects and tight deadlines.
39. At a Gallop
Meaning: Moving or progressing very quickly, likened to a horse’s fastest pace.
In a Sentence: The startup grew at a gallop, expanding its customer base and revenue within months of its launch.
40. Like There’s No Tomorrow
Meaning: Acting or moving very quickly, often with a sense of urgency or recklessness.
In a Sentence: They danced like there’s no tomorrow at the wedding, twirling and spinning with unstoppable energy all night.
41. In Two Shakes
Meaning: Very quickly, often used to describe completing a task in a short time.
In a Sentence: He promised to finish the repairs in two shakes, and sure enough, the car was ready to go in minutes.
42. Fast Out of the Gate
Meaning: Starting something very quickly or with great initial success.
In a Sentence: The new product was fast out of the gate, gaining thousands of pre-orders within hours of its announcement.
43. Like a Whirlwind
Meaning: Moving or acting very quickly, often with a chaotic or overwhelming energy.
In a Sentence: She organized the event like a whirlwind, coordinating vendors, decorations, and schedules in a single afternoon.
44. In a Hurry
Meaning: Acting or moving quickly due to time constraints or urgency.
In a Sentence: He packed his suitcase in a hurry, racing to catch the last flight home before the airport closed for the night.
45. Quick as a Bunny
Meaning: Very fast, often with a playful or lighthearted tone.
In a Sentence: The toddler ran to the park quick as a bunny, eager to play on the swings before the sun set.
46. At Top Speed
Meaning: Moving or operating as fast as possible.
In a Sentence: The delivery truck raced through the city at top speed to ensure the critical shipment arrived before the deadline.
47. Like a Scalded Cat
Meaning: Moving extremely fast, often out of fear or urgency.
In a Sentence: When the firecracker went off, the dog bolted like a scalded cat, disappearing around the corner in an instant.
48. In Record Time
Meaning: Completed faster than ever before or faster than expected.
In a Sentence: The marathon runner finished the race in record time, shattering the previous best by several minutes.
49. Faster Than You Can Say
Meaning: Happening so quickly that it outpaces even the act of speaking.
In a Sentence: The deal was finalized faster than you can say “contract,” with both parties signing the agreement in minutes.
50. Like a Flash in the Pan
Meaning: Happening quickly but briefly, often with little lasting impact.
In a Sentence: The trend swept through social media like a flash in the pan, popular one day and forgotten the next.
51. At a Frenzied Pace
Meaning: Moving or working very quickly, often with a sense of chaos or intensity.
In a Sentence: The newsroom operated at a frenzied pace as journalists rushed to publish breaking news before their competitors.
52. Quick as a Hiccup
Meaning: Extremely fast, often with a humorous or informal tone.
In a Sentence: She finished her homework quick as a hiccup, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the rest of her evening.
53. In a Rush
Meaning: Acting or moving quickly due to urgency or limited time.
In a Sentence: The caterers set up the banquet in a rush, ensuring every detail was perfect just as the guests began to arrive.
54. Like a Bolt from the Blue
Meaning: Happening suddenly and very quickly, often unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: The team’s breakthrough idea came like a bolt from the blue, solving the problem in a matter of moments after weeks of struggle.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Quiz 1: Quick as a Flash
What does the idiom “Quick as a flash” mean?
a) Moving slowly and carefully
b) Extremely fast or instantaneous
c) Acting without thinking
d) Waiting patiently
Quiz 2: Like a Bat Out of Hell
What is the meaning of “Like a bat out of hell”?
a) Moving extremely fast, often recklessly
b) Staying calm under pressure
c) Avoiding urgent situations
d) Planning carefully
Quiz 3: In the Blink of an Eye
When something happens “in the blink of an eye,” what does it imply?
a) It takes a long time
b) It happens almost instantaneously
c) It requires careful planning
d) It is predictable
Quiz 4: Fast and Furious
What does the idiom “Fast and furious” suggest?
a) Happening slowly and calmly
b) Happening rapidly with intense energy
c) Avoiding excitement
d) Focusing on details
Quiz 5: At Breakneck Speed
What situation is described by “At breakneck speed”?
a) Moving dangerously fast
b) Working at a relaxed pace
c) Planning thoroughly
d) Avoiding risks
Quiz 6: In a Heartbeat
If something happens “in a heartbeat,” what does it mean?
a) It takes a long time
b) It happens instantly or very quickly
c) It requires hesitation
d) It is complicated
Quiz 7: Like Greased Lightning
What does the expression “Like greased lightning” imply?
a) Moving extremely fast
b) Acting cautiously
c) Delaying progress
d) Ignoring urgency
Quiz 8: Lickety-Split
What is the meaning of “Lickety-split”?
a) Moving very slowly
b) Very quickly or at a rapid pace
c) Avoiding tasks
d) Planning carefully
Quiz 9: At Full Tilt
What does “At full tilt” refer to?
a) Moving at maximum speed or effort
b) Working at a leisurely pace
c) Avoiding effort
d) Focusing on rest
Quiz 10: In a Jiffy
When someone says they’ll do something “in a jiffy,” what are they promising?
a) To take their time
b) To do it very quickly
c) To avoid the task
d) To complicate the process
Answers:
- b
- a
- b
- b
- a
- b
- a
- b
- a
- b
Conclusion
Idioms for fast are like linguistic sparks that ignite conversations with energy, vividness, and creativity, capturing the thrill and urgency of speed in all its forms. Whether you’re describing a lightning-fast decision, a breakneck project, or a fleeting moment, these 54 expressions can add dynamism, humor, and relatability to your discussions. By weaving these idioms into your conversations, you can articulate the essence of swiftness in ways that are engaging, memorable, and full of life.