hot second
Barely any time
A hot second is a very brief moment, though the phrase often carries ironic weight.
Literally, it means almost no time at all: I'll be there in a hot second.
But it's frequently used sarcastically to mean the opposite—an eager instant that reveals how quickly someone jumped at something: She didn't waste a hot second before texting him back.
Briefest unit of time
- flashBrief burst of light
- momentBrief period of time
- jiffyInformal term for instant
- heartbeatRhythmic cardiac contraction
tick · blink · trice · twinkling · wink · microsecond · nanosecond · shake
Quick sudden movement
hustle · dash · scramble · time crunch · pressed · deadline · impatient · restless
Overstating beyond reality
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- dramatizationConverting events to performance
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- stretchPull to extend
emphasis · underestimate · dramatic effect · ironic · sarcastic
instant
Briefest unit of time
heartbeat · tick · blink · trice · twinkling · wink · microsecond · nanosecond · shake · snap
jiffy
Informal term for instant
bit · shake · quickie · New York minute · in a flash · in a snap
rush
Quick sudden movement
swift · hustle · dash · scramble · time crunch · pressed · deadline · impatient · restless · antsy
exaggeration
Overstating beyond reality
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- dramatizationConverting events to performance
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
stretch · emphasis · underestimate · dramatic effect · ironic · sarcastic