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"?
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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? – Chains Dec 12 '13 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 λ Dec 13 '13 at 17:58
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Eureka! says it all. – Drew Oct 24 '15 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? – Spagirl Aug 24 '16 at 15:31
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@user53578878979080099421313131, Why not Eureka? – Pacerier May 13 '17 at 5:52
I had an epiphany.
(a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization)
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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."
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. – Helmar Aug 24 '16 at 16:28
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.
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.
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