Like lightning
Meaning
Moving or happening with extreme speed and suddenness.
Origin
This phrase's power comes from a simple, awe-inspiring observation: lightning. When a storm unleashes its fury, a bolt of lightning appears and vanishes almost simultaneously, traversing immense distances in an instant. Early humans, terrified and amazed by this raw display of nature's power, naturally began to associate its incomprehensible velocity with anything that moved or happened with extreme, sudden speed. The comparison is so direct, so primal, that it has endured through millennia, making "like lightning" one of our most vivid and visceral ways to describe rapid action. It taps into that ancient wonder, bringing the storm's sudden flash into everyday language.
Examples
- The sprinter burst from the starting blocks, covering the track like lightning.
- When the doorbell rang unexpectedly, she darted to answer it like lightning.