The speed at which we live our lives continues to accelerate at a startling pace. In today’s fast-paced world, we’re often trying to cram more and more into less time. We dash from one appointment to the next, breeze through our to-do lists, and devour information at lightning speeds. As deadlines and demands relentlessly chase us, the minutes slip away like grains of sand in an hourglass.
In the following examples, we explore an assortment of lively metaphors that creatively convey the experience of moving at mach speed in this high-energy epoch.
Speeding bullet
Explanation: A bullet fires and moves extremely quickly, almost too fast to see. Describing something as fast as a speeding bullet means it happens in the blink of an eye.
Example: As soon as I pressed send, my message shot off like a speeding bullet.
Sentence: His thoughts were moving as fast as speeding bullets.
Racing cheetah
Explanation: A cheetah is known as the fastest land animal and can run incredibly quick. Comparing something to a racing cheetah means it happens swiftly.
Example: Time was passing by in a flash, as fast as a racing cheetah.
Sentence: As a sprinter, John could move his legs as fast as a racing cheetah.
Flying bird
Explanation: Birds can fly through the air rapidly, darting here and there at great speed. Saying something happens as fast as a flying bird emphasizes how quickly it occurred.
Example: The hours flew by in no time at all, as fast as a flying bird.
Sentence: The small child ran around giggling as fast as a little flying bird.
Rolling thunder
Explanation: Thunder rumbles loudly across the sky at a rapid pace. Relating something to rolling thunder indicates it happened or moved in a very quick, steady succession.
Example: The dark clouds rolled in with booming thunder, fast as rolling thunder.
Sentence: The drummer played an amazing solo, with the drumbeats rolling fast as thunder.
Melting ice
Explanation: Ice cubes have been known to disappear quickly on a hot day. Comparing something to melting ice emphasizes how rapidly it occurred or changed.
Example: My bad mood melted away like ice on a sunny day – so fast!
Sentence: The chocolate rabbits melted in the children’s hands, as fast as melting ice on a warm day.
Growing bamboo
Explanation: Bamboo can grow remarkably fast, towering many inches in just one day. Relating something to growing bamboo means it expanded or progressed at an astonishing pace.
Example: Our little business has been growing like bamboo, increasing customers as fast as growing bamboo.
Sentence: Her skills at the piano were developing fast, shooting up just like growing bamboo.
Passing clouds
Explanation: Clouds drift across the sky momentarily then are gone. Referring to something as fast as passing clouds highlights how briefly or fleetingly it transpired.
Example: The party seemed to happen and end as fast as passing clouds.
Sentence: His sad thoughts came and went, just as fast as passing clouds in the sky.
Scrolling screen
Explanation: Information can scroll upwards rapidly on a screen. Comparing something to a scrolling screen likens it to progressing at computer-like speed.
Example: I read the terms and conditions as fast as a scrolling computer screen!
Sentence: My entire life seemed to flash before my eyes, scrolling past at breakneck speed like a fast-moving screen.
Flashing light
Explanation: When a light flashes on and off it happens in an instant. Comparing something to a flashing light means it was abruptly very brief.
Example: I had a flashing idea come to me but it was gone just as quick as a flashing light.
Sentence: The meteor streaked across the night sky in a brilliant flash, as fast as a flickering light.
Zipping yo-yo
Explanation: A yo-yo whizzes down the string very swiftly on a trick. Relating something to a zipping yo-yo compares it to darting up and down with velocity.
Example: My thoughts were zipping around in my head faster than a zipping yo-yo.
Sentence: The dog chased its tail, zipping around as fast as a spinning yo-yo.
Flowing stream
Explanation: Water gushing along in a stream is smoothly accelerated. Linking something to a flowing stream likens it to an unhindered, steady rush forward.
Example: Time was streaming by in a flash, flowing as fast as a rushing stream.
Sentence: Her ideas were coursing along, flowing fast like a streaming brook.
Melting wax
Explanation: A candle burns down speedily, the wax pooling faster each moment. Referring to something as fast as melting wax captures this timelapse diminishing.
Example: My resolve was melting away, vanishing as fast as dripping wax down a candle.
Sentence: The icy road conditions thawed fast, disappearing like melting wax in the sun.
Shooting star
Explanation: A shooting star zips colorfully across the sky for an instant. Comparing something to a shooting star emphasizes its dramatic yet fleeting quality.
Example: Her changing moods flew by shooting across her face as fast as a shooting star.
Sentence: An idea flashed into my mind then out again, brief as a shooting star.
Blinking eye
Explanation: The eye closes and opens swiftly. Relating something to a blinking eye portrays it as happening momentarily in a heartbeat.
Example: I had a mad idea and then dismissed it, all within the swift blink of an eye.
Sentence: A shooting pain flashed behind my eyes, as fast as the blink of an eye.
Stirring tea
Explanation: Tea can be rapidly blended by brisk whisking. Linking something to stirring tea depicts it being effectively combined without delay.
Example: The team blended together perfectly, meshing as fast as stirring tea leaves.
Sentence: My worries dissolved quickly in calming thoughts, dispersed as fast as stirrings in a steaming mug.
Flowing sands
Explanation: Sand filters through an hourglass rapidly. Referring to something as flowing sands likens it to an unavoidable passage of time.
Example: Her youth seemed to slip through her fingers, flowing away as fast as sands in an hourglass.
Sentence: Our holiday flew by in the blink of an eye, timely as flowing sands.
Zipping zipper
Explanation: A zipper can fly up or down very swiftly. Saying something happened as fast as a zipping zipper emphasizes rapid speed.
Example: I changed my clothes in a flash, as fast as a zipping zipper.
Sentence: The little boy did up his coat in the blinking of an eye, just like a zipping zipper.
Rolling river
Explanation: Water glides speedily along in a flowing river. Linking something to a rolling river likens it to steady, unimpeded progression.
Example: Time was rolling by at quite a pace, moving as fast as a rolling river.
Sentence: Her busy thoughts were streaming along, rolling as fast as a rushing waterway.
Whirring fan
Explanation: A small fan can spin rapidly in circles. Connecting something to a whirring fan portrays it twirling energetically at great haste.
Example: The party was in full swing, all a-twirl like a whirring fan.
Sentence: The child’s excitement was spinning all around, circulating fast as a whirring household fan.
Bouncing ball
Explanation: A rubber ball can jump nimbly. Referring to something as a bouncing ball captures lively, resilient velocity.
Example: My mood was rebounding, bouncing back as fast as a bouncy rubber ball.
Sentence: Ideas were springing to mind, popping up as rapidly as bouncing balls.
Falling leaves
Explanation: Leaves descend from trees fluidly in autumn. Linking to falling leaves depicts fluid, yielding capitulation.
Example: My willpower was falling away as fast as the falling leaves in fall.
Sentence: Old habits were drifting from him, departing swiftly like sinking leaves.
Growing vines
Explanation: Vines snake tenaciously, proliferating day after day. Comparing something to fast-spreading vines emphasizes dynamic escalation.
Example: Rumors were spiraling out of control, spreading fast as stretching vines.
Sentence: Her running skills were burgeoning by the day, mounting rapidly just like climbing vines.
Melting ice cream
Explanation: Dessert cream melts promptly under the sun. Connecting to melting ice cream represents fast deterioration under pressure.
Example: My resolve dissolved instantaneously, thawing as fast as softening ice cream.
Sentence: Their excuses were falling away, dissolving rapidly much like a puddle of melting ice cream.
Blinking torch
Explanation: A torch flashes at brief intervals, its slow blinking connecting something to its appearance then disappearance in a fleeting yet recurring fashion.
Example: Ideas for the film were flashing in her mind, popping up intermittently like a blinking flashlight.
Sentence: Fireflies were sparkling amidst the grass, twinkling on and off as rapidly as a flashing torch at night.
| Metaphor | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding bullet | extremely fast | My message shot off like a speeding bullet as soon as I pressed send. |
| Racing cheetah | incredibly swift | Time was passing by in a flash, as fast as a racing cheetah. |
| Flying bird | rapid | The hours flew by in no time at all, as fast as a flying bird. |
| Rolling thunder | very quick, steady succession | The drummer played an amazing solo, with the drumbeats rolling fast as thunder. |
| Melting ice | quickly changing or disappearing | My bad mood melted away like ice on a sunny day – so fast! |
| Growing bamboo | expanding or progressing at an astonishing pace | Our little business has been growing like bamboo, increasing customers as fast as growing bamboo. |
| Passing clouds | fleetingly | The party seemed to happen and end as fast as passing clouds. |
| Scrolling screen | progressing at computer-like speed | I read the terms and conditions as fast as a scrolling computer screen! |
| Flashing light | abruptly very brief | A brilliant idea came to me in a flash, as fast as a flickering light. |
| Zipping yo-yo | darting up and down with velocity | My thoughts were zipping around in my head faster than a zipping yo-yo. |
| Flowing stream | unhindered, steady rush forward | Time was streaming by in a flash, flowing as fast as a rushing stream. |
| Melting wax | timelapse diminishing | My resolve was melting away, vanishing as fast as dripping wax down a candle. |
| Shooting star | dramatic yet fleeting quality | Her changing moods flew by shooting across her face as fast as a shooting star. |
| Blinking eye | happening momentarily in a heartbeat | A shooting pain flashed behind my eyes, as fast as the blink of an eye. |
| Stirring tea | effectively combined without delay | The team blended together perfectly, meshing as fast as stirring tea leaves. |
| Flowing sands | unavoidable passage of time | Her youth seemed to slip through her fingers, flowing away as fast as sands in an hourglass. |
| Zipping zipper | rapid speed | I changed my clothes in a flash, as fast as a zipping zipper. |
| Rolling river | steady, unimpeded progression | Time was rolling by at quite a pace, moving as fast as a rolling river. |
| Whirring fan | twirling energetically at great haste | The party was in full swing, all a-twirl like a whirring fan. |
| Bouncing ball | lively, resilient velocity | My mood was rebounding, bouncing back as fast as a bouncy rubber ball. |
| Falling leaves | fluid, yielding capitulation | My willpower was falling away as fast as the falling leaves in fall. |
| Growing vines | dynamic escalation | Rumors were spiraling out of control, spreading fast as stretching vines. |
| Melting ice cream | fast deterioration under pressure | My resolve dissolved instantaneously, thawing as fast as softening ice cream. |
| Blinking torch | appearing then disappearing in a fleeting yet recurring fashion | Ideas for the film were flashing in her mind, popping up intermittently like a blinking flashlight. |