twinkling

/ˈtwɪŋklɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · [twˈɪŋkəlɪŋ] /ˈtwɪŋklɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · [twˈɪŋkəlɪŋ] /ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce twinkling (audio)/ (ame, mw)

twinkling — noun

1. a moment so short that something seems to happen almost at once

1.名詞B2
釋義

a moment so short that something seems to happen almost at once

例句

In a twinkling, the rabbit was gone after the gate swung open.

in a twinkling for something happening almost at once

Bao had the table ready in a twinkling before guests arrived.

in a twinkling after a completed task

同義詞
  • instant

    more neutral and common in everyday English

  • moment

    broader and does not always stress sudden speed

  • flash

    more vivid and often suggests sudden light or movement

文法句型

in a twinkling

in the twinkling of an eye

用法筆記

Usually appears in the fixed phrase 'in a twinkling' or the longer expression 'in the twinkling of an eye'. It often gives the sentence a slightly literary or story-like tone, rather than the plain everyday tone of 'instantly'.

常見錯誤

❌The lights went out in twinkling.
✅The lights went out in a twinkling.
💡This noun normally needs an article in the fixed phrase.