diff --git a/scripts/test_copy_speed.toy b/scripts/test_copy_speed.toy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03b04d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test_copy_speed.toy
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+
+
+fn identity(x) {
+    return x;
+}
+
+
+var dict: [int:int] = [:];
+
+for (var i: int = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
+    dict[i] = i;
+}
+
+for (var i: int = 0; i < 100_000; i++) {
+    var x = identity(dict);
+}
diff --git a/source/toy_literal.c b/source/toy_literal.c
index 3598338..dac2ea3 100644
--- a/source/toy_literal.c
+++ b/source/toy_literal.c
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ Toy_Literal Toy_copyLiteral(Toy_Literal original) {
 			Toy_LiteralArray* array = TOY_ALLOCATE(Toy_LiteralArray, 1);
 			Toy_initLiteralArray(array);
 
+			//preallocate enough space
+			array->capacity = TOY_AS_ARRAY(original)->capacity;
+			array->literals = TOY_GROW_ARRAY(Toy_Literal, array->literals, 0, array->capacity);
+
 			//copy each element
 			for (int i = 0; i < TOY_AS_ARRAY(original)->count; i++) {
 				Toy_pushLiteralArray(array, TOY_AS_ARRAY(original)->literals[i]);
@@ -131,6 +135,15 @@ Toy_Literal Toy_copyLiteral(Toy_Literal original) {
 			Toy_LiteralDictionary* dictionary = TOY_ALLOCATE(Toy_LiteralDictionary, 1);
 			Toy_initLiteralDictionary(dictionary);
 
+			//preallocate enough space
+			dictionary->capacity = TOY_AS_DICTIONARY(original)->capacity;
+			dictionary->entries = TOY_ALLOCATE(Toy_private_dictionary_entry, dictionary->capacity);
+
+			for (int i = 0; i < dictionary->capacity; i++) {
+				dictionary->entries[i].key = TOY_TO_NULL_LITERAL;
+				dictionary->entries[i].value = TOY_TO_NULL_LITERAL;
+			}
+
 			//copy each entry
 			for (int i = 0; i < TOY_AS_DICTIONARY(original)->capacity; i++) {
 				if ( !TOY_IS_NULL(TOY_AS_DICTIONARY(original)->entries[i].key) ) {
@@ -168,7 +181,7 @@ Toy_Literal Toy_copyLiteral(Toy_Literal original) {
 			return original; //literally a shallow copy
 		}
 
-		case TOY_LITERAL_ARRAY_INTERMEDIATE: {
+		case TOY_LITERAL_ARRAY_INTERMEDIATE: { //TODO: efficient preallocation?
 			Toy_LiteralArray* array = TOY_ALLOCATE(Toy_LiteralArray, 1);
 			Toy_initLiteralArray(array);
 
@@ -184,7 +197,7 @@ Toy_Literal Toy_copyLiteral(Toy_Literal original) {
 			return ret;
 		}
 
-		case TOY_LITERAL_DICTIONARY_INTERMEDIATE: {
+		case TOY_LITERAL_DICTIONARY_INTERMEDIATE: { //TODO: efficient preallocation?
 			Toy_LiteralArray* array = TOY_ALLOCATE(Toy_LiteralArray, 1);
 			Toy_initLiteralArray(array);
 
@@ -200,7 +213,7 @@ Toy_Literal Toy_copyLiteral(Toy_Literal original) {
 			return ret;
 		}
 
-		case TOY_LITERAL_TYPE_INTERMEDIATE: {
+		case TOY_LITERAL_TYPE_INTERMEDIATE: { //TODO: efficient preallocation?
 			Toy_LiteralArray* array = TOY_ALLOCATE(Toy_LiteralArray, 1);
 			Toy_initLiteralArray(array);