C1idiomformaltimeIELTS-friendly
time is of the essence
USUK
it is very important to do something quickly
Formal, often in business emails and contracts. 'Essence' here means the most important part. Keep 'of': not 'time is the essence'.
In context
Time is of the essence, so please send the signed contract by Friday.
When someone has a stroke, time is of the essence; call an ambulance immediately.
More idioms about time
- a blast from the pastsomething or someone that suddenly reminds you of an earlier time
- a long time comingif something is a long time coming, people have waited a long time for it
- a matter of timecertain to happen, although you do not know exactly when
- a race against timea situation where you must hurry to finish before time runs out
- a sign of the timessomething that shows how society is now, often in a bad way