Like a bolt of lightning
Meaning
To describe something that happens with extreme suddenness and speed.
Origin
From the earliest moments humanity gazed skyward, the sheer power and terrifying speed of a lightning bolt seared an indelible image into our collective consciousness. A flash, a roar, and devastation or wonder in an instant—no other natural phenomenon so perfectly encapsulates suddenness and rapidity. This raw, primal observation, devoid of complex metaphor, simply took the physical reality of a thunderbolt striking the earth and transformed it into a vivid descriptor. It became the ultimate benchmark for anything that arrived without warning and vanished or impacted in a breathtaking, blinding rush, carrying the force of nature itself into our everyday language.
Examples
- When the stock market crashed, the news spread across the globe like a bolt of lightning, causing panic everywhere.
- The sprinter, known for his explosive start, shot out of the blocks like a bolt of lightning, leaving his competitors far behind.