How do you say “Like a bat out of hell” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is à toute allure, which literally means “at full speed”. English speakers use like a bat out of hell to mean extremely fast, often in a wild or hurried way. A natural description of speed, without the mild swearing. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
à toute allure
/a tut alyʁ/
- Literal meaning
- “at full speed”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“À toute allure” works for a runner, a car or a hurried departure. It tells the reader how fast something moved without adding a strange animal image.
It is calmer in tone than the English phrase. If the movement is dangerously fast, make that clear elsewhere in the sentence.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone3 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
When the bell rang, he ran outside like a bat out of hell.
French
Quand la sonnerie a retenti, il est sorti en courant à toute allure.
English
The car came down the hill like a bat out of hell.
French
La voiture a dévalé la colline à toute allure.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19