hightail

[ hahy-teyl ]

verb (used without object)

, Informal.

1. to go away or leave rapidly:

   Last we saw of him, he was hightailing down the street.

hightail

/ ˈhaɪˌteɪl /

verb

1. informal.
   intr to go or move in a great hurry Alsohightail it

Word History and Origins

Origin of hightail¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; high + tail ¹, in reference to the raised tails of fleeing animals, as deer or rabbits

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hightail it, Informal. hurry; rush; scamper:

   Hightail it down to the grocery store and buy some bread for lunch.

Example Sentences

In most cases, drivers might hightail it out of there.

From Los Angeles Times

Eventually, Berkoff couldn’t stand it any longer and, in a fury hightailed it to LAX in a rental car that bore the dents of his anger, leaving the production without a Goldberg.

From Los Angeles Times

I turned down the film, broke up with John and hightailed it out of town.

From Los Angeles Times

The brief video ends with the deer hightailing it away from the school.

From Washington Times

“By last night my arm was incredibly swollen, red and hot,” Gilbert continued, before adding that when she called her doctor, he suggested she “hightail it to the ER.”

From Los Angeles Times