In a heartbeat is an idiom that has been in use for some amount of time. We will examine the meaning of the phrase in a heartbeat, when it appeared and some examples of its use in sentences.
In a heartbeat is an idiomatic expression that means right away, without hesitation, happening as soon as possible. The phrase in a heartbeat is often used when describing how quickly something can overcome someone without warning, such as a natural catastrophe. In a heartbeat is an expression that is often used to underscore how eager someone is to experience something or to accomplish something. Synonyms for the phrase in a heartbeat that may be found in a thesaurus are quickly, immediately, soon. The term in a heartbeat first appeared in the twentieth century, though its origin is murky. The popularity of the idiom rose steeply in the 1980s. Note that the word heartbeat is a closed compound word, which is composed of two words joined together without a space.
Examples
The 45-year-old actress told Extra.com on Friday in NYC, that she would sign on in a heartbeat to work with her 38-year-old beau. (The Daily Mail)
Then, three years later, he was gone in a heartbeat. (The Epoch Times)
While Hannah Brown has already started filming season 15 of the ABC dating spinoff, Scheana added that she would sign up to star as the series’ lead in the future “in a heartbeat.” (US Magazine)
“If there were anything on that tape that would make our community or another community safer, we would release it in a heartbeat,” Manley said. (The Austin American-Statesman)