さっさと

Used when someone moves on or acts quickly in a way that feels uncaring, dismissive, or emotionally cold; the coldness usually comes from the context.

困こまっている同どう僚りょうを残のこして、彼かれはさっさと帰かえってしまった。
He coldly went home, leaving his struggling coworker behind.
彼かの女じょは私わたしの頼たのみを聞きかずに、さっさと電でん話わを切きった。
She hung up without even listening to my request.

Usage patterns

さっさと〈動どう詞し〉to do something quickly, without lingering or delaying
仕し事ごとをさっさと終おわらせて帰かえった。
I quickly finished my work and went home.
〈人ひと〉を置おいてさっさと行いくto leave someone behind and go off coldly/without caring
彼かれは私わたしを置おいてさっさと行いってしまった。
He just went off and left me behind without a second thought.
さっさと片かた付づけるto clean up/finish something quickly and without dawdling
子こ供どもたちはおもちゃをさっさと片かた付づけた。
The children quickly put away their toys.
さっさとしろhurry up! (impatient command to move quickly)
早はやく準じゅん備びしろ、さっさとしろ！
Get ready quickly, hurry up!

Related words· 6

すぐN4sense 1
すぐ is a neutral word for 'immediately' or 'soon', while さっさと adds a brisk, no-lingering feel and can sound impatient.
早さっ速そくN3sense 1
早速 describes doing something promptly, often with a positive or polite nuance, whereas さっさと is blunter and focused on not wasting time.
てきぱきN2sense 1
てきぱき highlights efficient, skillful handling of tasks, while さっさと mainly stresses moving on without delay.
さっとN2
さっと describes an action done briskly and lightly, while さっさと adds a nuance of impatience or urging someone to hurry.

Show 2 more

さくっ
さっさと stresses moving or acting swiftly without dawdling, while さくっ emphasizes doing something briskly and without fuss or complication.
とっとと
さっさと and とっとと both mean 'quickly, without dawdling' in casual commands, but とっとと sounds rougher and more impatient.

Opposites

のろのろN3sense 1
のろのろ describes sluggish, dawdling movement, the opposite of the brisk, no-delay action described by さっさと.
ゆっくりN5sense 1
ゆっくり means doing something slowly and leisurely, contrasting with the hurried, no-lingering sense of さっさと.
とぼとぼN1

Written forms

さっさとUsage96%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic adverb; no kanji form is given.
サッサとUsage4%
search-only kana form
Katakana-styled search variant given; ordinary writing is さっさと.

Etymology

A Japanese mimetic, reduplicative adverb. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the repeated さっ sound is conventionally associated with quick, brisk movement or action.

さっさと describes moving briskly and without delay, the opposite of the slow, weary pace suggested by とぼとぼ.