English Reference
Idiom idiom

time flies


Time passes quickly.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I cannot believe it is already evening; time flies.

CONTEXTUAL

We have been talking for three hours, but it feels like ten minutes because time flies when you are having fun.

COMPLEX

As the years pass, one often reflects on how quickly time flies, turning once-vibrant memories into distant, hazy echoes of the past.


Calque of Latin tempus fugit.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a week is a long time in politics

    In politics, much change can occur in a short space of time.

  2. 02

    about time

    Far past the desired time.

  3. 03

    any time now

    Very soon.

  4. 04

    any time soon

    soon

  5. 05

    as the crow flies

    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

  6. 06

    as the gull flies

    In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.

  7. 07

    better luck next time

    Used to wish somebody hope in future success after a failure.

  8. 08

    bide one's time

    To wait, especially for a suitable opportunity.

Last updated August 10, 2026