Synonyms

lickety-split

American

[lik-i-tee-split] / ˈlɪk ɪ tiˈsplɪt /

adverb

Informal.

at great speed; rapidly.

to travel lickety-split.

lickety-split British

/ ˈlɪkɪtɪˈsplɪt /

adverb

informal very quickly; speedily

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lickety-split

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; lickety, a fanciful extension of lick “to move quickly” + split, “fraction,” as in split second

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace could have supplied us, lickety-split.

From Salon • Dec. 6, 2024

You then proceeded to get on your back halfway off the curb on the parking strip, quickly and efficiently changed my tire and I was on my way lickety-split.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 10, 2023

The story turns on Sam’s belief in a quick turnaround; the problem acknowledged will now be solved, lickety-split, by the expert he has procured.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2022

Construction started barely three weeks ago, but the building is going up lickety-split.

From Washington Post • Jun. 27, 2020

I go to the Stanford website, find a directory of undergraduates and lickety-split, I find his email.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023