jiffy

[ jif-ee ]
/ ˈdʒɪf i /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR jiffy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural jif·fies. Informal.

a very short time; moment: to get dressed in a jiffy.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also jiff [jif] /dʒɪf/.

Origin of jiffy

First recorded in 1770–80; origin uncertain

Words nearby jiffy

jicama, jicarilla, jictar, jidda, jiddah, jiffy, jiffy bag, jig, jig back, jig is up, jigaboo
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to jiffy

breath, crack, flash, moment, twinkling, second, shake, minute, trice, jiff

Example sentences from the Web for jiffy

British Dictionary definitions for jiffy

jiffy

jiff (dʒɪf)

/ (ˈdʒɪfɪ) /

noun plural jiffies or jiffs

informal a very short timewait a jiffy

Word Origin for jiffy

C18: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with jiffy

jiffy

see under in a flash.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.