In No Time: Meaning, Use, and Examples in Business English

Red alarm clock on gray background with "IN NO TIME" in bold red text below. Mood: urgency. Text: "REAL Business English," website link.

Learn Business English vocabulary with Phrase of the Week!

Each week, we introduce a new phrase to help you sound more natural and confident in your professional communication.

For extra practice, you can download the flashcards—just scroll down to the bottom of the page.

What Would You Do in This Situation?

Imagine this. You're getting ready for a team meeting. The agenda is full, and your manager just added one more item — she needs a quick summary of last month’s results.

You only have 15 minutes. You glance at the data, open a blank slide, and get to work.

One of your teammates leans over and says,

“You’re doing all that now?”

You smile and reply:

“Don’t worry. I’ll finish it in no time.”

In this lesson, you’ll learn the meaning of in no time in business English, along with how to use it naturally in everyday professional situations.

This Week's Phrase:

IN NO TIME

idiom

= very soon, very quickly

If you follow these steps, you’ll complete the task in no time.

The new software helps employees finish reports in no time.

Don’t worry, we’ll get there in no time.

In No Time: Listen to a Real-Life Example

Two people smiling in a comic strip format. Text boxes show a conversation about completing a report quickly. Background is blurred.

Glossary

HOW'S THE REPORT COMING ALONG?

= Are you making progress on the report?

-How’s the report coming along?

-Pretty well—I’m almost done!

POWER THROUGH

phrasal verb

to keep working hard on something

I was exhausted, but I powered through and got everything done before the deadline.

Quick Quiz

EVENTUALLY

adverb

after some time, in the end

He worked hard and eventually became the boss.

Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out eventually.

I know it’s hard now, but things will get better eventually.

BEFORE YOU KNOW IT

idiom

very quickly, sooner than expected

The weekend will be here before you know it.

Start saving now, and before you know it, you’ll have enough for a trip.

Time flies; it'll be summer before you know it.

SLOWLY BUT SURELY

idiom

gradually, but making steady progress

Slowly but surely, I’m getting back in shape.

Slowly but surely, she’s building her confidence.

The repairs are taking time, but slowly but surely, it’s coming together.

Let's Talk

Can you think of anything you can do in no time?

Yeah, honestly, I can put together a quick project update in no time. I’ve done so many of them that I almost don’t have to think about it anymore. I just open the doc, drop in the key points, make sure everything looks clean, and that’s it. It’s one of those tasks that used to take forever, but now it’s second nature. (Judy, native English speaker)