For an instant, I forgot where I was.
The ride was over in an instant.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'instant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use: 14th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearThe movie was an instant hit.
He became an instant celebrity with the publication of his first novel.
We got an instant response from the company.
The Internet provides instant access to an enormous amount of information.
Is this coffee instant or regular?
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'instant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
acute, burning, compelling, critical, crying, dire, emergent, exigent, imperative, imperious, importunate, necessitous, pressing, urgent;
incidental, low-pressure, minor, negligible, trivial, unimportant;
demanding, extreme, immediate, insistent, intense, overriding;
crucial, desperate, grave, life-and-death (also life-or-death), serious, severe, vital;
dangerous, explosive, hazardous, perilous, precarious, unstable;
: becoming something very quickly
: happening or done without delay
of food : able to be made very quickly : partially prepared by the manufacturer so that final preparation is quick and easy
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for instant Spanish Central: Translation of instant Nglish: Translation of instant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of instant for Arabic speakers
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