split second
43
2.5
- noun
- /splɪt ˈsɛkənd/
:
instante
- He made a decision in a split second when the opportunity arose.
I wore them for like a split second and now they're gone.
- I wore them for like a split second and now they're gone.
- Don't switch off for a split second, you know, but we can do.
- And that gives us that split second to hit him in the head.
- Whereas if you had to think rationally, those split seconds could cost you dear.
- So in like a split second, all these things come across.
- And that pause for that split second allows the system to cool down.
- But there was this split second when I knew that this was my chance.
- So there was a split second of chaos and all that just internally for us.
- And he cracks the first round off and I black out for a split second.
- when in a split second of time he made a foolish decision.
- Now the box and which you'll see in just a split second.
- Now let's talk about specs for just a split second.
- There was that initial split second of where is she?
Examples
-
'And there's always a moment that you'll need' to make a split second decision.
-
And it's under these conditions that you're gonna be forced to make split-second decisions that could cost you your life.
-
But there was this split second when I knew that this was my chance.
-
I had a split second to decide whether you were going to attack my partner or your kid was gonna reach for his gun.
-
I remember the split second I became obsessed with that.
-
I made a split-second decision.
-
Then lightning struck, and for a split second, everything was like daytime.
Fiction book (1993) -
"Lucia took her eyes off the highway for a split second to look at her brother."
Fiction book (1990) -
I paused, but only for a split second, and then we continued to take those notions apart.
Academic text (2014) -
He just looked at me, kind of frowned for the split second, kissed me and then left.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A very short time or a particular point in time
543
1.0
A very short time
330
1.0
Right away without any delay
232
1.0
A very short moment that passes quickly
72
1.3
A very short time
72
3.7
A very short time
50
3.3
Very quickly, in almost no time
47
3.7
For a very short time
35
2.5
Very quickly in a single moment
35
2.8
A very short moment that passes almost instantly
26
2.5
A unit of time equal to one thousandth of a second
25
5.6
Happen at once without delay
22
4.9
A very short time like a moment
20
4.5
A unit of time equal to one billionth of a second
17
7.2
A very short time, just a moment
11
3.6
A very short time equal to one millionth of a second
8
2.5
A very short moment of time
8
9.9
A very short time
5
7.2
A very short moment when something happens
3
5.5
A very short time equal to one billionth of a second
1
9.9
A very short time, like an instant
1
9.6
A very short time, like a few moments
1
8.0
A very short time equal to one trillionth of a second
Happen very quickly in the short time it takes to blink an eye
Happens very quickly
A time interval shorter than one nanosecond, about one billionth of a second
How Short
Surface Forms
Morphology
split + second
The meaning 'an extremely short moment' is directly derivable from combining 'split' (to divide, very small or broken) with 'second' (a moment), i.e. a 'divided/very small second' = a very brief time. This modifier + time-unit composition is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase split second comes from the image of a second being split in two, so the moment becomes very tiny. That's why it means 'an extremely short moment'.