Idioms are like secret codes in the English language that unlock deeper meaning and color in everyday speech. They often say one thing but mean something else entirely—helping us express ideas in creative, memorable ways. When it comes to talking about speed, quick thinking, and rapid action, idioms play a big role in making our conversations more engaging and effective.
Whether you’re racing to meet a deadline, reacting on the spot, or just describing someone who’s fast at what they do, idioms for “quick” are incredibly useful. These phrases help us describe everything from being mentally sharp to physically fast—all without having to repeat the word “quick” over and over. In this article, you’ll find 47 of the most common and fun-to-use idioms related to speed, along with their meanings, how to use them in a sentence, and some friendly alternatives. These are great for improving your English, boosting your vocabulary, or just sounding more natural when speaking or writing.
So buckle up—because we’re about to move fast through a world of idioms that go full speed ahead!
Idioms for Quick
1. In the blink of an eye
Meaning: Extremely quickly, almost instantly.
In a Sentence: The car disappeared in the blink of an eye once the light turned green.
Other Ways to Say: In a flash, Instantly
2. At the drop of a hat
Meaning: Immediately, without hesitation.
In a Sentence: She’s always ready to travel at the drop of a hat when someone mentions a road trip.
Other Ways to Say: Without delay, Right away
3. Quick on the draw
Meaning: Fast to respond or react, especially in thinking or speaking.
In a Sentence: He’s quick on the draw when answering tricky questions in class.
Other Ways to Say: Sharp, Fast thinker
4. In a heartbeat
Meaning: Willing or able to do something instantly.
In a Sentence: I’d help my best friend in a heartbeat if she ever needed me.
Other Ways to Say: Immediately, Without second thought
5. Fast as lightning
Meaning: Extremely fast.
In a Sentence: The sprinter was fast as lightning, breaking the school record with ease.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast, Speedy
6. In no time
Meaning: Very quickly or soon.
In a Sentence: We finished the entire puzzle in no time thanks to teamwork.
Other Ways to Say: Quickly, Sooner than expected
7. Like greased lightning
Meaning: Extremely fast, almost uncontrollably so.
In a Sentence: The cat ran across the yard like greased lightning when it heard thunder.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast, In a flash
8. As quick as a flash
Meaning: Very fast or sudden.
In a Sentence: She grabbed her phone as quick as a flash when it buzzed on the table.
Other Ways to Say: Swiftly, Suddenly
9. On the double
Meaning: Immediately, without wasting any time.
In a Sentence: The coach told us to report to the gym on the double for warm-ups.
Other Ways to Say: Right away, Without delay
10. Before you know it
Meaning: Something will happen quickly, often sooner than expected.
In a Sentence: The weekend will be over before you know it, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Other Ways to Say: Sooner than expected, Quickl
11. In a jiffy
Meaning: Very quickly, in a short moment.
In a Sentence: I’ll be back in a jiffy—I just need to grab my notebook from the car.
Other Ways to Say: In a second, Really fast
12. In a split second
Meaning: In an extremely brief moment of time.
In a Sentence: He made the decision in a split second and jumped into the pool to save the dog.
Other Ways to Say: Instantly, In no time
13. Like a shot
Meaning: Very quickly or eagerly.
In a Sentence: As soon as the school bell rang, the students were out the door like a shot.
Other Ways to Say: With speed, Rapidly
14. Like clockwork
Meaning: Very predictably and efficiently.
In a Sentence: His morning routine runs like clockwork—shower, breakfast, and out the door by 7.
Other Ways to Say: Without delay, Punctual
15. In record time
Meaning: Faster than has ever been done before.
In a Sentence: She completed the race in record time, surprising even the coaches.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely fast, Very quickly
16. As fast as your legs can carry you
Meaning: Running as fast as possible.
In a Sentence: I ran home as fast as my legs could carry me when the rain started pouring.
Other Ways to Say: Run quickly, Dash off
17. Quick as a wink
Meaning: Extremely quick and barely noticeable.
In a Sentence: The magician swapped the cards quick as a wink, and no one noticed.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast, In a flash
18. At breakneck speed
Meaning: Dangerously fast.
In a Sentence: The motorbike zoomed past us at breakneck speed, barely avoiding the curve.
Other Ways to Say: Recklessly fast, Super speedy
19. In the twinkling of an eye
Meaning: So quickly it’s almost unnoticeable.
In a Sentence: He was there and gone again in the twinkling of an eye.
Other Ways to Say: In a heartbeat, Instantly
20. Without missing a beat
Meaning: To continue doing something quickly and smoothly, without hesitation.
In a Sentence: She answered all the questions without missing a beat, clearly confident in her skills.
Other Ways to Say: Effortlessly, Smoothly
21. Run like the wind
Meaning: To run extremely fast.
In a Sentence: When the dog got loose, it ran like the wind across the open field.
Other Ways to Say: Sprint fast, Dash away
22. In a flash
Meaning: Very quickly, almost instantaneously.
In a Sentence: He cleaned up his room in a flash before his friends arrived.
Other Ways to Say: In no time, Instantly
23. Quicker than you can say “Jack Robinson”
Meaning: Happening so fast that it’s almost surprising.
In a Sentence: She was out of the room quicker than you could say “Jack Robinson.”
Other Ways to Say: Super fast, Suddenly
24. At lightning speed
Meaning: Extremely fast, like a bolt of lightning.
In a Sentence: The software update installed at lightning speed, surprising even the technician.
Other Ways to Say: Rapidly, Swiftly
25. As fast as you can say it
Meaning: Something that happens very quickly, with barely any delay.
In a Sentence: He agreed to the plan as fast as you can say “deal.”
Other Ways to Say: In a snap, Right away
26. Without delay
Meaning: Immediately, without waiting.
In a Sentence: The paramedics arrived without delay after the emergency call.
Other Ways to Say: Instantly, Straight away
27. Zip by
Meaning: To move past quickly.
In a Sentence: The weekend zipped by before I even had time to relax.
Other Ways to Say: Fly by, Rush past
28. Cut to the chase
Meaning: To get to the point quickly, skipping unnecessary details.
In a Sentence: Let’s cut to the chase—did we win the contract or not?
Other Ways to Say: Get to the point, Skip the fluff
29. Get cracking
Meaning: To start working quickly.
In a Sentence: We’ve got a lot to do today, so let’s get cracking!
Other Ways to Say: Start now, Get going
30. Speed things up
Meaning: To make something happen faster.
In a Sentence: We need to speed things up if we want to finish this project before lunch.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up, Make it faster
31. Like wildfire
Meaning: Spreading or moving very quickly.
In a Sentence: The news about the new movie spread like wildfire through social media.
Other Ways to Say: Rapidly, Instantly everywhere
32. In the nick of time
Meaning: Just before it’s too late.
In a Sentence: She caught the bus in the nick of time—just as the doors were closing.
Other Ways to Say: Just in time, Barely made it
33. In overdrive
Meaning: Working at a very fast or intense pace.
In a Sentence: His brain went into overdrive trying to solve the puzzle before the timer ended.
Other Ways to Say: Working hard, At full speed
34. On the spur of the moment
Meaning: Done quickly and without planning.
In a Sentence: We took a road trip on the spur of the moment and ended up at the beach.
Other Ways to Say: On a whim, Suddenly
35. In a rush
Meaning: Doing something quickly, often because of limited time.
In a Sentence: I was in such a rush this morning that I forgot my lunch at home.
Other Ways to Say: In a hurry, Speeding
36. Haste makes waste
Meaning: Doing something too quickly can lead to mistakes.
In a Sentence: Double-check your answers—remember, haste makes waste.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t rush, Take your time
37. Fast and furious
Meaning: Happening with great speed and energy.
In a Sentence: The debate turned fast and furious as each side defended their point.
Other Ways to Say: Intense and quick, Rapid and energetic
38. Rapid-fire
Meaning: Delivered or happening very quickly in succession.
In a Sentence: He asked rapid-fire questions that kept the speaker on their toes.
Other Ways to Say: Back-to-back, Machine-gun pace
39. Snap decision
Meaning: A decision made quickly, without much thought.
In a Sentence: I made a snap decision to join the dance team, and I’m glad I did.
Other Ways to Say: Quick choice, Instant decision
40. All of a sudden
Meaning: Something that happens unexpectedly and quickly.
In a Sentence: All of a sudden, the lights went out, and the whole room gasped.
Other Ways to Say: Out of nowhere, Without warning
41. Quick as a bunny
Meaning: Extremely fast or nimble.
In a Sentence: The toddler darted across the playground quick as a bunny when he saw the ice cream truck.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast, Like lightning
42. In the fast lane
Meaning: Living or moving at a fast and often exciting pace.
In a Sentence: Ever since she got her promotion, she’s been living in the fast lane with nonstop travel and meetings.
Other Ways to Say: High-paced life, Always moving
43. Blink and you’ll miss it
Meaning: Something so fast that it’s gone before you realize it.
In a Sentence: The meteor flew across the sky—blink and you’ll miss it.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast, Barely noticeable
44. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start something immediately and energetically.
In a Sentence: On the first day of school, the teacher hit the ground running with fun activities.
Other Ways to Say: Start fast, Jump right in
45. In hot pursuit
Meaning: Chasing something or someone very quickly.
In a Sentence: The police were in hot pursuit of the speeding vehicle through the city streets.
Other Ways to Say: Close behind, Actively chasing
46. Make a mad dash
Meaning: To run or move quickly and suddenly.
In a Sentence: We made a mad dash to the bus stop when we saw it turning the corner.
Other Ways to Say: Sprint, Hurry
47. In full swing
Meaning: Happening quickly and with full energy or activity.
In a Sentence: By 9 PM, the party was in full swing with music, dancing, and snacks everywhere.
Other Ways to Say: Fully active, Going strong
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks using the idioms above:
- We finished cleaning the house _______—faster than we ever have before.
- She made a _______ decision to join the club right before the deadline.
- The birthday surprise came out of nowhere—_______, everyone was singing and clapping.
- When the class started, the teacher _______ with a quiz.
- The news of the prize spread _______, reaching every student in minutes.
- He sprinted _______ when he realized the store was about to close.
- You better take your time because _______—rushing may cause mistakes.
- That motorcycle zoomed past us _______, making our hair blow back.
- We were _______ to get to the bus, hoping it hadn’t left.
- The chase scene was thrilling—the hero was _______ of the villain across rooftops.
Answers:
in a flash, snap, all of a sudden, hit the ground running, like wildfire, as fast as his legs could carry him, haste makes waste, at breakneck speed, making a mad dash, in hot pursuit
Conclusion
Idioms that describe quickness, speed, and fast thinking can add a whole new level of excitement and energy to your conversations. Whether you’re talking about someone who’s super fast, explaining how quickly something happened, or encouraging others to act fast, these phrases make your language more vivid and relatable.
Practice using these idioms in your writing and speech, and you’ll find they help you communicate more clearly and expressively. Don’t worry if you don’t remember all of them right away—just like learning to run fast, it takes a little practice. And before you know it, these idioms will become second nature, helping your language stay quick on its feet!
