English Dictionary
Definition of “instant”
instant (ˈɪnstənt
)
Definitions
noun
- a very brief time; moment
- a particular moment or point in time ⇒
at the same instant
- See on the instant
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 month ⇒
a letter of the 7th instant
inst Compare proximo
, ultimo
- currently under consideration
Word Origin
C15: from Latin instāns, from instāre to be present, press closely, from in-² + stāre to stand
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
moment,
second,
minute,
shake,
flash,
tick,
no time
twinkling,
split second,
jiffy,
trice,
twinkling of an eye two shakes two shakes of a lamb's tail bat of an eye
Translations
- British English:
instant
You use instant to describe something that happens immediately.He took an instant dislike to the woman.ˈɪnstənt ADJECTIVE He took an instant dislike to the woman.
- Spanish:
instantáneo
adj instantánea
- French:
instantané
adj
- German:
sofortig
adj
- Chinese: 立即的 adj
- Arabic: سَرِيعٌ adj
- Portuguese: imediato adj imediata
- Russian: мгновенный adj мгновенная
- Croatian: ekspres adj ekspres
- Czech: okamžitý adj
- Danish: øjeblikkelig adj
- Dutch: onmiddellijk adj
- Finnish: välitön adj
- Greek: στιγμιαίος adj στιγμιαία
- Italian: istantaneo adj istantanea
- Japanese: 即座の no_posp
- Korean: 즉시의 adj
- Norwegian: umiddelbar adj
- Polish: nagły adj nagła
- Brazilian Portuguese: imediato adj imediata
- European Spanish:
instantáneo
adj instantánea
- Swedish: omedelbar adj omedelbart
- Thai: ทันทีทันใด adj
- Turkish: anında adj
- Vietnamese: ngay lập tức adj
Usage examples
An instant dislike at her phoniness teamed with a gut appreciation of how physically arresting she was.
Stuart Harrison, BETTER THAN THIS (2002)He noticed that Quaker sells instant oatmeal in several varieties, including "Regular Flavour".
New Scientist (2004)Seizing this beautiful instant , I propelled myself toward the goal, stick under control.
Globe and Mail (2003)Chart positions are the obvious, instant way of judging a pop star's popularity.
Glasgow Herald (2001)He published his observations in 1798; the book became an instant bestseller.
Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)
