What are some grandiloquent, or simply better, ways of expressing "an idea/thought suddenly came to me", or "an idea/thought struck me", or "I was struck by an idea/thought"?
asked Dec 12, 2013 at 9:45
user53578878979080099421313131user53578878979080099421313131
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Your 3 examples are all cases where 'me' is passive, being acted on by 'an idea/thought'. Is that your context? You want examples of other things ideas can do to a passive you?– ChainsDec 12, 2013 at 16:41
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1Related: What is the name of the moment when the detective solves the mystery or realizes who the murderer is?, Word for seeing someone’s moment of realization?, Word for a rare feeling, Brainstorm, Metaphor for an important discovery, Substitute for “The thought came to my mind”– aedia λDec 13, 2013 at 17:58
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Eureka! says it all.– DrewOct 24, 2015 at 21:47
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Grandiloquent: pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress. Do you really want to sound pompous?– SpagirlAug 24, 2016 at 15:31
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@user53578878979080099421313131, Why not Eureka?– PacerierMay 13, 2017 at 5:52
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6 Answers
I had an epiphany.
(a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization)
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1
An "Aha!" moment.
Or, "I had a sudden insight."
Or, "It finally dawned on me!"
Or, "I experienced a paradigm shift."
Or, "Suddenly, all the pieces fit together in one moment of inspiration!"
Or, "A revelatory moment."
Or, "An intuitive perception."
Or, "A mental breakthrough."
Or, "A eureka moment."
answered Dec 12, 2013 at 16:37
If you are writing primarily for everyday communication (e.g. email or chat), then always find the simplest language, while still being professional. In this case, you can simply say something like:
It just hit me, ...
It just struck me, ...
If you are writing longer form and want to be more expressive/stylistic, many of the answers above are great.
An idea just popped into my head. From Cambridge Dictionaries:
Something that pops into your head/mind is an idea that you suddenly have
(He jotted down story ideas that popped into his head.)
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2This has the potential for a good answer. If, and only if, you explain why it is a good expression. Please add some objective source and an explanation. Have a look at the help center to find out about good answers.– HelmarAug 24, 2016 at 16:28
NOUN
2 [USUALLY IN SINGULAR] informal A sudden clever idea: then he had a brainwave
More example sentences
I was fingering my car keys, wondering if my perverse appetite would last all the way to Tesco's and back, when I had a sudden brainwave.
Anyway, as she went on and got more and more into it, I had a sudden brainwave.
Those words hit Rick like stones, a brainwave and an idea quickly ensued.
answered Aug 24, 2016 at 17:16
A light bulb moment
TFD
Informal a moment of sudden inspiration, revelation, or recognition
[from the cartoon image of a light bulb lighting up above a character's head when he or she has an idea]
Related to the concept of light providing an answer, is the noun
illumination "In a moment of illumination" TFD
- spiritual or intellectual enlightenment; insight or understanding
answered Dec 12, 2013 at 9:53
