adj
lightning
LYT-nihng
adj
1
Extremely fast, as if moving at the speed of an electrical flash in the sky.
"He reacted with lightning speed."
verb
1
To produce flashes of lightning during a storm.
"It thundered and lightninged all through the night."
How to Use Lightning
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDescribing something extremely fast, from the flash of electricity seen in storms.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "lightening" (making lighter) — a very common spelling mix-up.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
lightning speed
lightning fast
lightning strike
Word Forms
lightninged past tense, lightnings singular
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He reacted with _____ speed.
Etymology
From lighten + -ing; a doublet of "lightening," though the two words diverged in spelling and meaning.