Phrase guide

quick as a flash

adj · adv · 2 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Extremely quick.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable

Qualifier: simile

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fulgurant, fast as lightning, lightning fast, lightning-quick, in a flash, quick as a fox

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Extremely quickly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable

Qualifier: simile

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lightning fast, in a flash, lightningly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

In reference to the rapidity of flashes of lightning.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: lynhurtigt — extremely quickly
  • Finnish: salamannopeasti — extremely quickly
  • German: blitzschnell — extremely quickly
  • German: wie der Blitz — extremely quickly
  • German: blitzartig — extremely quickly
  • Greek: αστραπιαία (astrapiaía) — extremely quickly
  • Icelandic: eins og snæljós — extremely quickly
  • Italian: fulmineamente — extremely quickly
  • Italian: in un lampo — extremely quickly
  • Italian: in un baleno — extremely quickly
  • Italian: in un battibaleno — extremely quickly
  • Italian: a rotta di collo — extremely quickly
  • Italian: come un fulmine — extremely quickly
  • Polish: błyskawicznie — extremely quickly
  • Russian: молниено́сно (molnijenósno) — extremely quickly
  • Serbo-Croatian: муњѐвито — extremely quickly
  • Serbo-Croatian: munjèvito — extremely quickly
  • Spanish: a toda leche — extremely quickly
  • Spanish: en volandas — extremely quickly
  • Spanish: como un rayo — extremely quickly
  • Swedish: blixtsnabbt — extremely quickly
  • Ukrainian: бли́скавично (blýskavyčno) — extremely quickly
  • Vietnamese: nhanh như chớp — extremely quickly
  • Yiddish: פּי פּאַ פּאָ, ער איז שוין נישטאָ (pi pa po, er iz shoyn nishto) — extremely quickly