as a lightning bolt
- idiom
- Informal
:
de repente
- The news hit him as a lightning bolt.
Examples
-
Her decision to leave the company came as a lightning bolt to her coworkers.
-
The news of the merger hit the staff as a lightning bolt, leaving everyone speechless.
-
For many viewers, the unexpected plot twist arrived as a lightning bolt.
-
She arrived as a lightning bolt and surprised everyone!
-
The surprise announcement caught everyone as a lightning bolt, making them gasp in disbelief.
-
When she suddenly resigned, it felt as a lightning bolt to her colleagues who had no idea it was coming.
-
The unexpected result of the game hit the fans as a lightning bolt, leaving them in shock.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Quickly and without warning
987
2.7
Very quickly and without warning
145
3.3
In a sudden way that gives no warning
116
7.1
Happens quickly and without warning
95
3.4
Something happens suddenly and without warning
50
3.3
Very quickly, in almost no time
35
2.5
Very quickly in a single moment
25
5.8
Suddenly with no clear reason, like magic
5
4.4
To do something very suddenly and with great force
1
3.5
Very quickly, in an instant
In a sudden, rough way that shocks or surprises
Antonyms
How Sudden
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward simile: 'as' signals a comparison and 'lightning bolt' evokes something very sudden and striking, so a learner who knows the words can infer 'very suddenly/unexpectedly'. The metaphor maps directly from the constituents and is cross-linguistically common, making it readily comprehensible at B1.
Etymology
As a lightning bolt comes from the image of a bright lightning bolt suddenly appearing out of the sky and shocking everyone who sees it. So it means 'very suddenly and unexpectedly' or happening with great surprise.