Meanings
- idiomaticinformalWithout any hesitation; instantly.
We're expected to just do it at the drop of a hat.
3 more examples
If you need help, just call on Mike. He can come at the drop of a hat.
A tremendous thing happened when Dean met Carlo Marx. Two keen minds that they are, they took to each other at the drop of a hat.
1957 September 5, Jack Kerouac, chapter 1, in On the Road, New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, →OCLC, part 1Let's face it. We are swollen up like an overfed slug, our breath stinks, the tiniest irritant is magnified ten thousand times, and we cry at the drop of a hat.
2014, Becky Rutledge, Miss Becky's Charm School, Citadel Press, →ISBNSynonyms: at a moment's notice, at once, in a heartbeat, off the cuff
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseWithout any hesitation; instantly.
Origin
From the customary starting of competitions by making a sweeping downward motion with a cap.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque begien itxi-irekian, begien itxi-ireki batean
- begien itxi-irekianinstantly, without hesitation
- begien itxi-ireki bateaninstantly, without hesitation
Finnish hetkessä, käden käänteessä
- hetkessäinstantly, without hesitation
- käden käänteessäinstantly, without hesitation
- tuosta vaininstantly, without hesitation
- alta aikayksiköninstantly, without hesitation
- epäröimättäinstantly, without hesitation
French en un claquement de doigts
- en un claquement de doigtsinstantly, without hesitation
German von einem Tag auf den anderen, von heute auf morgen
- von einem Tag auf den andereninstantly, without hesitation
- von heute auf morgeninstantly, without hesitation
Greek στο πι και φι
- στο πι και φι (sto pi kai fi)instantly, without hesitation
Italian in un batter d'occhio, in un battito d'ali
- in un batter d'occhioinstantly, without hesitation
- in un battito d'aliinstantly, without hesitation
- in men che non si dicainstantly, without hesitation
Polish na zawołanie, w każdej chwili
- na zawołanieinstantly, without hesitation
- w każdej chwiliinstantly, without hesitation
- w mgnieniu okainstantly, without hesitation
Portuguese em um piscar de olhos, com um estalar de dedos
- em um piscar de olhosinstantly, without hesitation
- com um estalar de dedosinstantly, without hesitation
- num abrir e fechar de olhosinstantly, without hesitation
Russian ми́гом, в мгнове́ние о́ка
- ми́гом (mígom)instantly, without hesitation
- в мгнове́ние о́ка (v mgnovénije óka)instantly, without hesitation
- ту́т же (tút že)instantly, without hesitation
- за́просто (záprosto)instantly, without hesitation
Spanish en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, de buenas a primeras
- en un abrir y cerrar de ojosinstantly, without hesitation
- de buenas a primerasinstantly, without hesitation
- a las primeras de cambioinstantly, without hesitation
- de inmediatoinstantly, without hesitation
- al instanteinstantly, without hesitation
Cite this entry
at the drop of a hat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20the%20drop%20of%20a%20hat
“at the drop of a hat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20the%20drop%20of%20a%20hat. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “at the drop of a hat,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/at%20the%20drop%20of%20a%20hat.
Source: at the drop of a hat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.