たちまち

たちまち
adverb
instantly; in no time; at once
1. instantly; in no time; at once
Describes something happening very quickly or immediately, often with a sense of surprising speed.
たちまち人気(にんき)()た。
It became popular in no time.
(そら)がたちまち(くら)くなった。
The sky suddenly turned dark.
(うわさ)はたちまち町中(まちじゅう)(ひろ)まった。
The rumor spread throughout the town in no time.

KANJI:
Can be written as (たちま)ち, though hiragana is more common.

USAGE:
たちまち emphasizes the surprising speed at which something happens. It often describes changes, spread of information, or completion of actions that occur faster than expected.

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • たちまち〜になる (to instantly become ~)
  • たちまち(ひろ)まる (to spread in no time)
  • たちまちのうちに (in the blink of an eye)

REGISTER:
Neutral to slightly literary. Used in both spoken and written Japanese.

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • すぐに - immediately (neutral, most common)
  • あっという()に - in the blink of an eye
  • (またた)()に - in an instant (literary)
  • 即座(そくざ)に - immediately (formal)