‘秒杀’ (miǎo shā) literally means 'to kill in one second'—a vivid, hyperbolic expression borrowed from online gaming where players defeat opponents instantly. In modern Chinese commerce, it refers to a 'flash sale': an extremely time-limited, high-demand promotional event where products sell out within seconds due to steep discounts and limited stock. The term captures urgency, speed, and scarcity.

It is widely used in e-commerce platforms (e.g., Taobao, JD.com), social media marketing, and everyday conversation among young urban consumers. While the characters 秒 (second) and 杀 (kill) are individually common, their compound form is almost exclusively tied to digital retail contexts—not violence or gaming anymore. It carries a playful, energetic tone and reflects China’s fast-paced internet consumer culture.