blink-and-you-miss-it
Gone that fast
Blink-and-you-miss-it describes something so brief or fleeting that inattention means losing it entirely.
The phrase often modifies appearances, cameos, or moments: a blink-and-you-miss-it scene in the film, Her promotion was blink-and-you-miss-it—she left the company two months later.
It emphasizes how quickly something passes.
Passing very quickly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- split-secondFraction of a moment
- instantaneousHappening without any delay
- flashBrief burst of light
quick · short-lived · brief · eyeblink · heartbeat · nanosecond · twinkling · wink
Lasting very briefly
- evanescentTending to vanish quickly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- passingMoving by or temporary
- vanishingCeasing to be visible
impermanent · temporary · fugacious · perishable · volatile · fugitive · meteoric · elusive
Extremely rapid
- whirlwindViolently rotating air column
- swiftMoving with speed
- rapidMoving with haste
- speedyCharacterized by quickness
zippy · quick · breakneck · supersonic · flash · sudden · hasty · precipitate
Cannot be sensed
- unnoticedNot perceived by anyone
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- hiddenKept out of sight
- elusiveHard to find
subtle · cameo · background · understated · inconspicuous
fleeting
Passing very quickly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- split-secondFraction of a moment
- instantaneousHappening without any delay
flash · quick · short-lived · brief · eyeblink · heartbeat · nanosecond · twinkling · wink · jiffy
ephemeral
Lasting very briefly
- evanescentTending to vanish quickly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- passingMoving by or temporary
vanishing · impermanent · temporary · fugacious · perishable · volatile · fugitive · meteoric · elusive · unenduring
lightning-fast
Extremely rapid
speedy · zippy · quick · breakneck · supersonic · flash · sudden · hasty · precipitate · expeditious
imperceptible
Cannot be sensed
- unnoticedNot perceived by anyone
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- hiddenKept out of sight
elusive · subtle · cameo · background · understated · inconspicuous
blink-and-you-miss-itinterminable
Without apparent conclusion
lingering · endless · never-ending · prolonged · drawn-out
blink-and-you-miss-itunmissable
Impossible to overlook
in-your-face · unmistakable · conspicuous · glaring · obvious
blink, blinks, blinked, blinking, blinker, blinkers, misses, missed, missing