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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Instant

/ˈɪnstənt/ · noun

Meaning

A very short period of time; a moment..

Definitions by Sense

  1. A very short period of time; a moment.
  2. A single, usually precise, point in time.
  3. A beverage or food which has been pre-processed to reduce preparation time, especially instant coffee.
  4. Ellipsis of instant camera.
  5. (dated) Impending; imminent.
  6. (dated) Urgent; pressing; acute.
  7. (dated) Insistent; persistent.
  8. (law) Present; current; extant.

Example Sentences

She paused for only an instant, which was just enough time for John to change the subject.
Thy life is long, Eternity is short. So short that, shouldst thou die and Eternity should pass, and after the passing of Eternity thou shouldst live again, thou wouldst say: ‘I closed mine eyes but for an instant.’
"On receiving the baton, steam was again turned on, and the train passed on to the bridge... when the train had got about 200 yards from the cabin [in the signal box], he observed sparks flying from the wheels; and after they had continued about three minutes, there was a sudden bright flash of light, and in an instant there was total darkness, the tail lamps of the train, the sparks, and flash of light, all, he said disappearing at the same instant."
The instant the alarm went off, he fled the building.
Impending death is thine, and instant doom.
January 2, 1827, Thomas Carlyle, letter to Mrs. Carlyle, Scotsbrig I am beginning to be very instant for some sort of occupation.
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.
He received just two disciplinary reports prior to committing the instant offense, one in March 2019 for activating an alarm during a non-emergency situation, and one in May 2019 for failing to provide a urine specimen.

Synonyms for instant

eyeblinkflashjiffybat of an eyebitblink of an eyecrackglimpsehalf a moinstantjiffjotminutemomomentNew York minuteNew York secondno timesecsecondspansplit-secondspurtstoundticktricetwinktwinkletwinklingwhile

Antonyms for instant

Related Words

new york minuteblink of an eyejiffymomentinstantaneouspresentsecondfastimperativeinsistentexigentclamantinstsplit secondflashtricetwinklingwinkcryingminute

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does instant mean?

Instant means A very short period of time; a moment..

What is a synonym for instant?

Common synonyms include eyeblink, flash, jiffy, bat of an eye.

What is the opposite of instant?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use instant in a sentence?

She paused for only an instant, which was just enough time for John to change the subject.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.