instant

[ in-stuhnt ]

/ ˈɪn stənt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR instant ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an infinitesimal or very short space of time; a moment: They arrived not an instant too soon.

the point of time now present or present with reference to some action or event.

a particular moment: at the instant of contact.

a food or beverage, especially coffee, specially processed for quick preparation.

Older Use. the present or current month.

adjective

succeeding without any interval of time; prompt; immediate: instant relief from a headache.

pressing or urgent: instant need.

noting a food or beverage requiring a minimal amount of time and effort to prepare, as by heating or the addition of milk or water, before being served or used: instant coffee; instant pudding.

occurring, done, or prepared with a minimal amount of time and effort; produced rapidly and with little preparation: an instant book; instant answers; instant history.

designed to act or produce results quickly or immediately: an instant lottery.

Older Use. of the present month: your letter of the 12th instant. Abbreviation: inst. Compare proximo, ultimo.

present; current: the instant case before the court.

adverb

instantly.

Origin of instant

1350–1400; 1910–15; for def 8; Middle English < Latin instant- (stem of instāns) present participle of instāre to be present, urgent, equivalent to in- in-² + -stā- stand + -nt- present participle suffix

SYNONYMS FOR instant

1 second, twinkling, flash, jiffy, trice. See minute¹.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR instant ON THESAURUS.COM

Words nearby instant

installment plan, instalment, instamatic, instance, instancy, instant, instant camera, instant message, instant photography, instant replay, instantaneous

Example sentences from the Web for instant

Add to that the DISH Anywhere app, and you have instant access to the program guide and the ability to record shows on the go.

Four TV Shows We Can’t Wait to Return In 2015 |DISH |December 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The problem starts in that instant of electric mistrust when the cop reaches for his gun, or employs a homicidal chokehold.

The Only Way to End Police Violence |Michael Tomasky |December 5, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The instant you are deemed a candidate for arrest, you become not so much a person as a “perp.”

‘I Can’t Breathe!’ ‘I Can’t Breathe!’ A Moral Indictment of Cop Culture |Michael Daly |December 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
One green-eyed man, nicknamed “Cai the Roman,” became an instant celebrity due to his decidedly Roman physical characteristics.

The Chinese Town Descended From Romans? |Nina Strochlic |December 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

This powder can be shipped anywhere and then reconstituted—just add water, as if it were instant coffee.

Powdered Measles Vaccine Could Be Huge for Developing World |Kent Sepkowitz |December 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In an instant the torrent had caught them in its whirling eddies, and they were so many separate atoms borne along on the flood.

The Ward of King Canute |Ottilie A. Liljencrantz
"I thank you," said Johanna, and for an instant her pale face glowed with the same fire which had distinguished her father.

A Noble Name |Claire Von Glmer
Slip it carefully on a hot dish and serve the instant it comes from the fire.

The Story of Crisco |Marion Harris Neil
In an instant the whips ceased to fall and the man with the dead soul saw all the Earth before him—and understood.

The City and the World and Other Stories |Francis Clement Kelley
"She's not well," the woman replied, with instant suspicion.

The Three Black Pennys |Joseph Hergesheimer

British Dictionary definitions for instant

instant

/ (ˈɪnstənt) /

noun

a very brief time; moment

a particular moment or point in time at the same instant

on the instant immediately; without delay

adjective

immediate; instantaneous

(esp of foods) prepared or designed for preparation with very little time and effort instant coffee

urgent or imperative

(postpositive) (when abbreviated in formal correspondence)

of the present montha letter of the 7th instant Abbreviation: inst Compare proximo, ultimo
currently under consideration

adverb

a poetic word for instantly

Word Origin for instant

C15: from Latin instāns, from instāre to be present, press closely, from in- ² + stāre to stand

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

instant

noun

adjective

adverb

Origin of instant

SYNONYMS FOR instant

Words nearby instant

Example sentences from the Web for instant

British Dictionary definitions for instant

noun

adjective

adverb

Word Origin for instant

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

instant

noun

adjective

adverb

Origin of instant

SYNONYMS FOR instant

Words nearby instant

Words related to instant

Example sentences from the Web for instant

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for instant

noun

adjective

adverb

Word Origin for instant

British Dictionary definitions for instant