Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the actual words inside them. People use them to make talking and writing more colorful and exciting. In this article, you will learn sixty helpful idioms that all describe moving or working with great speed.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for fast speed that mean moving very fast or acting quickly. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Fast Speed
1. Like the wind
Meaning: Moving extremely fast, often leaving a blur behind.
For Example: The runner dashed across the finish line like the wind. / My dog ran across the yard like the wind to catch the ball.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast / Extremely quick
2. In a flash
Meaning: Happening almost instantly or in a fraction of a second.
For Example: The magician made the coin disappear in a flash. / The storm clouds rolled in and darkened the sky in a flash.
Other Ways to Say: Instantly / Very quickly
3. Lightening fast
Meaning: Moving with the incredible speed of a flash of light.
For Example: The video game player had lightning fast reflexes. / Her fingers moved across the piano keys with lightning fast precision.
Other Ways to Say: Blazing fast / Super speedy
4. At full tilt
Meaning: Operating or moving at maximum speed and power.
For Example: The toy train raced around the track at full tilt. / The project moved ahead at full tilt to meet the Friday deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Top speed / Maximum pace
5. Quick as a wink
Meaning: Happening so fast that it takes barely any time at all.
For Example: The snack vanished from the plate quick as a wink. / He solved the puzzle quick as a wink.
Other Ways to Say: In a blink / Rapidly
6. Burning rubber
Meaning: Driving or moving away in a vehicle with extreme speed.
For Example: The race car driver started burning rubber the moment the light turned green. / We were late, so my dad was burning rubber down the highway.
Other Ways to Say: Speeding off / Racing away
7. Fast lane
Meaning: A way of living or moving that is very fast-paced and exciting.
For Example: Moving to the big city felt like jumping into the fast lane. / She loves the excitement of living in the fast lane.
Other Ways to Say: Quick pace / Rapid lifestyle
8. Swift as an arrow
Meaning: Flying or moving straight and true with great speed.
For Example: The hawk swooped down from the sky, swift as an arrow. / The soccer ball flew toward the goal, swift as an arrow.
Other Ways to Say: Direct and fast / Rapidly moving
9. Breaking the sound barrier
Meaning: Moving so fast that it seems to beat the speed of sound.
For Example: The jet fighter flew overhead, nearly breaking the sound barrier. / The roller coaster felt like it was breaking the sound barrier on the big drop.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely fast / Supersonic speed
10. Like a bat out of hell
Meaning: Moving away in a wild, uncontrolled, and very rapid manner.
For Example: The frightened cat bolted out of the room like a bat out of hell. / When the bell rang, the students ran out of the classroom like a bat out of hell.
Other Ways to Say: Bolting away / Racing wildly
11. Quick on the draw
Meaning: Being very fast to react or respond to a situation.
For Example: The clever student was quick on the draw with the correct answer. / You have to be quick on the draw to win this trivia game.
Other Ways to Say: Fast to react / Quick-witted
12. Flying high
Meaning: Moving through the air or progressing toward success with great energy.
For Example: The kite was flying high in the clear blue sky. / Our team is flying high after winning the championship game.
Other Ways to Say: Soaring fast / Moving upward
13. At breakneck speed
Meaning: Moving so fast that it could be dangerous or reckless.
For Example: The cyclist rode down the steep hill at breakneck speed. / The construction crew worked at breakneck speed to finish the park.
Other Ways to Say: Reckless speed / Dangerously fast
14. Like greased lightning
Meaning: Moving with unbelievable swiftness and smoothness.
For Example: The mechanic fixed the flat tire like greased lightning. / My brother grabbed the last slice of pizza like greased lightning.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast / Instantaneous
15. In a heartbeat
Meaning: Happening immediately without any hesitation.
For Example: I would eat a chocolate cupcake in a heartbeat. / She agreed to help her friend move in a heartbeat.
Other Ways to Say: Instantly / Without hesitation
16. Skimming the surface
Meaning: Moving lightly and rapidly across the top of something.
For Example: The flat stone skipped across the pond, skimming the surface. / The boat was skimming the surface of the calm lake.
Other Ways to Say: Gliding fast / Skipping along
17. On the double
Meaning: Doing something immediately and without wasting any time.
For Example: The coach told the players to get on the field on the double. / Pack your bags, we need to leave on the double!
Other Ways to Say: Right away / Hurry up
18. Racing against time
Meaning: Trying to complete a task before a very tight deadline runs out.
For Example: We were racing against time to finish our science project before class. / The doctors were racing against time to help the patient.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing / Beating the clock
19. Making tracks
Meaning: Leaving a place quickly or traveling at a high speed.
For Example: It started to rain, so we started making tracks toward the house. / The hikers saw a bear and started making tracks down the trail.
Other Ways to Say: Moving fast / Heading out quickly
20. Out of the starting blocks
Meaning: Starting a race or a new project with a quick burst of energy.
For Example: The sprinter was quick out of the starting blocks. / Our business got right out of the starting blocks with great sales.
Other Ways to Say: Quick start / Fast beginning
21. Hitting the ground running
Meaning: Beginning an activity with immediate energy, speed, and success.
For Example: The new student hit the ground running and made friends right away. / She started her job and hit the ground running.
Other Ways to Say: Starting fast / Immediate action
22. In the blink of an eye
Meaning: Ending or happening so fast that you barely notice it.
For Example: The weekend ended in the blink of an eye. / The shooting star vanished in the blink of an eye.
Other Ways to Say: Very quickly / Instantly
23. Flying through
Meaning: Completing a task or journey with great ease and speed.
For Example: I was flying through my homework so I could go outside and play. / The bus was flying through the empty morning streets.
Other Ways to Say: Progressing fast / Rushing through
24. Passing like a blur
Meaning: Moving so quickly that details cannot be seen clearly.
For Example: The scenery outside the train window was passing like a blur. / The race cars were passing like a blur on the track.
Other Ways to Say: Blurring past / Rapid motion
25. Moving at warp speed
Meaning: Traveling at an impossibly high rate of speed.
For Example: The computer processed the large file at warp speed. / Time seemed to move at warp speed during summer vacation.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely fast / Ultra speed
26. Like a house on fire
Meaning: Moving or progressing with incredible energy and speed.
For Example: The two new classmates got along like a house on fire. / The repairs on the roof went like a house on fire.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast / Rapid progress
27. Shooting past
Meaning: Passing by another object or person with sudden speed.
For Example: The red sports car came shooting past us on the highway. / A falling star came shooting past the moon.
Other Ways to Say: Zooming by / Racing past
28. Whizzing by
Meaning: Moving past quickly while making a light buzzing or rushing sound.
For Example: The bicycles kept whizzing by while we sat on the park bench. / The hours of the party kept whizzing by.
Other Ways to Say: Zooming past / Flying by
29. Tearing along
Meaning: Moving forward in a rush with great speed and energy.
For Example: The wild horse was tearing along the open plain. / The delivery truck came tearing along the gravel road.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing along / Speeding ahead
30. Moving at lightning speed
Meaning: Operating or traveling with the speed of electricity.
For Example: News of the school snow day spread at lightning speed. / The firefighter acted at lightning speed to save the kitten.
Other Ways to Say: Rapid speed / Super quick
31. Fleet of foot
Meaning: Having the ability to run very fast on one’s feet.
For Example: The soccer player was fleet of foot and outran the defenders. / Deer are naturally fleet of foot to escape predators.
Other Ways to Say: Fast runner / Quick on feet
32. Putting the pedal to the metal
Meaning: Pressing a vehicle gas pedal all the way down to go as fast as possible.
For Example: The ambulance driver put the pedal to the metal to reach the hospital. / He put the pedal to the metal to get home before dark.
Other Ways to Say: Speeding up / Full throttle
33. Going like mad
Meaning: Working or moving with frantic energy and speed.
For Example: Everyone in the kitchen was going like mad to prepare dinner. / The puppies were running around the yard like mad.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing wildly / Frantic speed
34. Stepping on the gas
Meaning: Increasing speed quickly, either in a car or in a task.
For Example: We need to step on the gas if we want to arrive before the movie starts. / The runner stepped on the gas on the final lap.
Other Ways to Say: Speeding up / Accelerating
35. Flying off the shelves
Meaning: Selling items very quickly because people want to buy them.
For Example: The new video game was so popular it was flying off the shelves. / Fresh blueberry muffins were flying off the bakery counter.
Other Ways to Say: Selling fast / Rapid sales
36. Whipping up
Meaning: Making or creating something quickly and with ease.
For Example: Dad managed to whipping up a delicious lunch in ten minutes. / She sat down and started whipping up a drawing.
Other Ways to Say: Making fast / Quick creation
37. Zooming around
Meaning: Moving quickly from place to place with excitement.
For Example: The remote-controlled car was zooming around the living room floor. / The little kids were zooming around the playground.
Other Ways to Say: Racing around / Speeding about
38. Eating up the miles
Meaning: Driving or traveling across a long distance very quickly.
For Example: Our family car was eating up the miles on our road trip. / The freight train kept eating up the miles through the desert.
Other Ways to Say: Traveling fast / Covering ground
39. Running circles around
Meaning: Moving much faster or performing much better than someone else.
For Example: The older kids were running circles around us in the basketball game. / Her computer was running circles around my older laptop.
Other Ways to Say: Outperforming / Moving faster than
40. Moving at a rapid clip
Meaning: Traveling or progressing at a steady and fast pace.
For Example: The hikers walked at a rapid clip to beat the sunset. / The story moved at a rapid clip from chapter to chapter.
Other Ways to Say: Fast pace / Steady speed
41. Hot footing it
Meaning: Walking or running away quickly on foot.
For Example: We saw the dark clouds and started hot footing it toward shelter. / The thieves started hot footing it when the alarm sounded.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing away / Walking fast
42. Making tracks in a hurry
Meaning: Leaving a location immediately with great haste.
For Example: When the lights went out, we were making tracks in a hurry. / The campers saw a bear and were making tracks in a hurry.
Other Ways to Say: Hurrying away / Fast departure
43. Skedaddling
Meaning: Running away or departing from a place very quickly.
For Example: The kids heard their mom call and started skedaddling inside. / The stray dog went skedaddling down the alley.
Other Ways to Say: Fleeing fast / Running off
44. Darting about
Meaning: Moving swiftly and suddenly in different directions.
For Example: The tiny hummingbirds were darting about among the flowers. / Little fireflies were darting about in the evening yard.
Other Ways to Say: Flitting fast / Moving quickly
45. Swooping down
Meaning: Moving downward through the air with rapid speed.
For Example: The eagle was swooping down to catch a fish in the river. / The paper airplane came swooping down right onto my desk.
Other Ways to Say: Diving fast / Rapid descent
46. Charging ahead
Meaning: Moving forward with great speed, power, and confidence.
For Example: The football player kept charging ahead through the defensive line. / Our team is charging ahead with the new project.
Other Ways to Say: Moving forward fast / Pushing ahead
47. Hitting top gear
Meaning: Reaching the maximum level of speed and performance.
For Example: The runner finally hit top gear on the home stretch. / Our car hit top gear as we merged onto the highway.
Other Ways to Say: Maximum speed / Full power
48. Sprinting to the finish
Meaning: Running or working as fast as possible to complete something.
For Example: The marathon runners were sprinting to the finish line. / We are sprinting to the finish of the school year.
Other Ways to Say: Final rush / Speeding to end
49. Sped up
Meaning: Increasing the rate of speed or motion.
For Example: The movie projector sped up for a funny scene. / The cyclist sped up to catch the group ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Accelerated / Went faster
50. Going from zero to sixty
Meaning: Accelerating from a complete stop to a very high speed instantly.
For Example: That sports car can go from zero to sixty in just a few seconds. / My little sister can go from zero to sixty when she gets excited.
Other Ways to Say: Instant acceleration / Rapid start
51. Rushing headlong
Meaning: Moving forward in a great hurry without stopping to look.
For Example: The puppy was rushing headlong into the pile of leaves. / Don’t go rushing headlong into a decision without thinking.
Other Ways to Say: Charging blindly / Headfirst rush
52. Moving at Mach speed
Meaning: Traveling at the extreme speed of sound in the air.
For Example: The fighter jet roared past us moving at Mach speed. / The message traveled across the fiber network at Mach speed.
Other Ways to Say: Sonic speed / Super-fast travel
53. Rearing to go
Meaning: Being extremely eager and ready to move fast.
For Example: The horses at the starting gate were rearing to go. / The kids were dressed in their costumes and rearing to go trick-or-treating.
Other Ways to Say: Eager to start / Ready for action
54. Zipping along
Meaning: Moving smoothly and quickly along a path or road.
For Example: Our boat was zipping along the surface of the river. / The train kept zipping along through the countryside.
Other Ways to Say: Cruising fast / Gliding quickly
55. Barreling down
Meaning: Moving forward quickly and with heavy momentum.
For Example: A large truck came barreling down the mountain road. / The heavy snowstorm came barreling down on our town.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing heavily / Charging down
56. Spilling out in a rush
Meaning: Moving out of a space quickly and in large numbers.
For Example: The students were spilling out in a rush when the final bell rang. / Fans were spilling out in a rush from the stadium.
Other Ways to Say: Pouring out / Rapid exit
57. Racing through the pages
Meaning: Reading a book very quickly because it is exciting.
For Example: I found the mystery story so good that I was racing through the pages. / She finished the entire adventure novel racing through the pages.
Other Ways to Say: Reading fast / Quick reading
58. Flying off the handle
Meaning: Reacting with sudden and fast anger or excitement.
For Example: Try not to fly off the handle when you lose a game. / He tends to fly off the handle when things get stressful.
Other Ways to Say: Reacting fast / Quick temper
59. Sweeping through
Meaning: Moving across an area very quickly and thoroughly.
For Example: A cool breeze came sweeping through the open window. / The cleaning team came sweeping through the house.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing across / Moving swiftly
60. Moving at full steam
Meaning: Operating at maximum speed and energy, like an old steam train.
For Example: The factory production was moving at full steam to finish the orders. / Our group project is moving at full steam ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Full power / Maximum speed
Exercise to Practice
- When the fire alarm went off, the students walked out of the building ________.
- The magician made the coin disappear ________.
- My brother grabbed the last slice of pizza like ________.
- We need to leave ________ because we are very late for the movie.
- The frightened cat bolted out of the room like ________.
- The race car driver started ________ the moment the light turned green.
- The helper fixed the flat tire like ________.
- The hawk swooped down from the sky, ________ an arrow.
- The runner dashed across the finish line like ________.
- The children were running around the yard like ________.
- We were ________ to finish our science project before class ended.
- The delivery truck came ________ along the gravel road.
- The little kids were ________ around the playground with lots of energy.
- The clever student was ________ on the draw with the correct answer.
- Our family car was ________ up the miles on our road trip.
Answer Key
- on the double
- in a flash
- greased lightning
- right away
- a bat out of hell
- burning rubber
- greased lightning
- swift as
- the wind
- mad
- racing against time
- tearing along
- zooming around
- quick
- eating
Conclusion
Learning idioms helps you describe everyday actions in much more creative and fun ways. Instead of just saying something is fast, you can paint a picture with words by using these expressions. Try using a few of these speed idioms when you talk with your friends or write your next school story.
