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Glite Dictionary
in the bat of an eye

in the bat of an eye

5.1
Very quickly, in almost no time
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : en un abrir y cerrar de ojos
  • She packed her suitcase and left in the bat of an eye.

Examples

  • You can lose your keys in the bat of an eye!

  • Business decisions can change in the bat of an eye in today's fast-paced world.

  • The storm passed in the bat of an eye, leaving everyone surprised.

  • He finished the race in the bat of an eye.

  • The magician made the rabbit disappear in the bat of an eye.

  • The car went from zero to sixty in the bat of an eye.

  • They agreed to the terms in the bat of an eye.

Synonyms

quickly
vsin the bat of an eye
∞ 1.0

At a fast speed or without delay

is nearer to an instant point rather than broader fast motion over time
suddenly
vsin the bat of an eye
∞ 1.0

Quickly and without warning

is very quick but does not require being unexpected or surprising
immediately
vsin the bat of an eye
∞ 1.0

At once without waiting

is almost instantaneous yet focuses on the rapid result rather than formality
all of a sudden
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
987 2.7

Very quickly and without warning

is rapid too but does not necessarily include an element of surprise
rapidly
vsin the bat of an eye
446 1.4

In a very short time

is slightly more about instant timing rather than general fast speed
at once
vsin the bat of an eye
344 1.0

Immediately without delay

is very quick but emphasizes an almost immediate change in outcome
instantly
vsin the bat of an eye
330 1.0

Right away without any delay

is extremely quick but may allow a barely measurable interval
overnight
vsin the bat of an eye
201 2.0

Very quickly, in a short time

is nearly instant and refers to a tiny moment rather than an extended short period
swiftly
vsin the bat of an eye
84 1.0

Quickly and smoothly

is almost instantaneous but does not necessarily stress smooth motion
off the bat
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
56 6.5

Right away without waiting

is extremely quick but expresses the idea as almost instantaneous idiomatically
in the blink of an eye
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
50 3.3

Very quickly, in almost no time

is nearly instant in action but is slightly more idiomatic and vivid
in a flash
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
35 2.5

Very quickly in a single moment

is similarly rapid but emphasizes near instant timing rather than imagery
blink of an eye
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
35 2.8

A very short moment that passes almost instantly

is about a nearly instant change rather than a short measurable period
instantaneously
vsin the bat of an eye
25 5.6

Happen at once without delay

is very quick but allows a tiny, almost unnoticeable delay
like a shot
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
4 6.0

Very quickly and without hesitation

is equally very quick but is less focused on motion or force
in a snap
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
3 3.0

It happens very quickly with little effort

is almost instantaneous but does not focus on ease or effort
twinkling of an eye
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
1 3.8

A very short time when things change suddenly

is equally fast but stresses instant timing rather than poetic suddenness
in nothing flat
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Archaic
1 7.0

In a very short time

is almost instant in nature but is more idiomatic and less formal
at lightspeed
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
1 5.1

To happen or be done very quickly

is equally very fast but usually in normal, human-perceivable timeframes
wink of an eye
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
1 3.8

In a very short time

is very quick but presented as a near instant idiomatic expression
in the wink of an eye
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
1 3.5

Very quickly, in an instant

is almost instantaneous and focuses on immediate result rather than surprise
quick as a flash
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
1 2.0

Happen very fast

is comparably rapid but centers on near instant timing rather than speed image
in an eyeblink
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
6.8

Happen very quickly in the short time it takes to blink an eye

is nearly immediate but is used more generally for sudden speed
in the snap of someone's fingers
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
5.0

Happens very quickly

is nearly instant but does not necessarily highlight the lack of effort
in jig time
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Archaic
7.9

In a very short time

is nearly instantaneous but is more formal than playful expressions
with a quickness
vsin the bat of an eye
  • Informal
7.2

In a very short time

is about immediate timing rather than the sense of urgent motion
sharpish
vsin the bat of an eye
  • UK
6.5

Soon, without much delay

is faster and closer to instant rather than merely fairly prompt

Antonyms

slowly
∞ 1.0

At a low speed without hurrying

gradually
273 1.9

Slowly and steadily over time

How Fast

instantly
330 1.0
in the bat of an eye
  • Informal
5.1
rapidly
446 1.4
quickly
∞ 1.0
slowly
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

in the bat of an eye main

Morphology

in + the + bat + of + an + eye

The phrase maps onto the more common idiom 'in the blink of an eye': if a learner knows 'bat' (to flutter/flash one's eyelashes) and 'eye', they can infer a brief, instantaneous action by analogy to blinking. However, this is a conventionalized idiom and the verb 'bat' with this sense is less frequent than 'blink', so the connection is somewhat conventional and may not be fully predictable for all B1 learners.

Etymology

In the bat of an eye is a different, older form of in the blink of an eye used in some places. Imagine the tiny, quick movement of an eye closing — the word bat points to that sudden motion, which is why the phrase means 'very quickly'.