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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

hightail it en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (Canada, US, informal) To hurry or run; often, to flee.
    • I made awkward small talk with my seat neighbor and high-tailed it home before the socializing began in earnest. 2022 April 5, Michal Leibowitz, “'I Didn't Feel Like Going, but I'm Glad I Did': My Motto of the Moment”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
    • […] I suggest you hightail it over to your girlfriend's house ASAP, man! 2002 March 11, Michael Chapman; Matthew Chapman, “Strong Bad Email #17: studying”, in Homestar Runner, spoken by Strong Bad (Matthew Chapman):
    • The cat hightailed it out of the bushes.
    • He started to hightail it out of there, but I stopped him at the door.
    • Whilst sinking, there was still a small chance that Hornet might be towed out of the danger zone and then reboarded, but, by now, the Japanese Navy surface forces were getting closer, and the order was given to scuttle Hornet instead. But, she proved remarkably hard to actually encourage to sink at any pace but her own. A number of torpedoes and several hundred 5-inch shells later, the two destroyers assigned to the job seemed none the closer to actually finishing it, and they were forced to hightail it out of the area. Shortly after ten o'clock that night, the Japanese forces came across the still-afloat, and still-ablaze, Hornet, but, concluding, at this point, that taking her as a prize wasn't particularly likely, they put four Long Lances into her, and Hornet finally sank just after one-thirty in the morning. 2021 February 3, Drachinifel, 21:35 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - Santa Cruz (IJN 2 : 2 USN), archived from the original on 04 Dec 2022:
    • "Great! A guy getting off a night shift who hasn't been laid in years finds his wife in flagrante with some hamburger-faced guy who hightails it out the front door in his underwear. We're walking into a hornet's nest, Jackson." 2004, Rex Pickett, Sideways, St. Martin's Griffin, →ISBN, page 292:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
hightails it Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
hightailed it Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
hightailed it Tense=Past lexicographic
hightailing it Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
high-tail it alternative lexicographic

Synonyms

jump · absquatulate · scarper · hit the road · abscond · do a moonlight flit · scat · hightail it · do a bunk · take a powder · do a runner · book it · make tracks · hightail · smash and dash · run for the hills · gnash · do a flit · beat feet · run away · vamoose · leg it · bolt · rabbit · beat it · take to one's heels · take to the hills · tear off · hightail · kick rocks · amscray · make a break for it · shemozzle · flee · namous · peg it · take off · run a mile · skedaddle · run off · skedaddle · dine and dash · fly the coop · turn tail · head for the hills · blow this popsicle stand · scamper · get lost · gas and dash · scram · move quickly · get out · take flight · make a run for it · beat a retreat

Translations (1)

ru сваливать (to hurry or run; often, to flee)