instantly

1 of 2

adverb

in·​stant·​ly ˈin(t)-stənt-lē 

1

: without the least delay : immediately

2

: with importunity : urgently

instantly

2 of 2

conjunction

: as soon as

… he ran across the grass instantly he perceived his mother …

—William Thackeray

Synonyms of instantly

Adverb

• immediately
• promptly
• now
• directly

Conjunction

• when
• immediately
• once

Examples of instantly in a Sentence

Adverb

His voice is instantly recognizable.

They instantly fell in love.

She was killed instantly when her car hit a tree.

Conjunction

we realized there would be problems instantly we saw the final report

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

These li’l leaves of pak choi sauté in 24 seconds or can melt instantly into soups. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026

De Palma instantly recognized the film potential and optioned the rights before searching for the perfect actress to play Carrie. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026

When Ariel Baska traded their 15-year career teaching Latin for the film industry, they were instantly faced with a series of unexpected guardrails. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026

That banner is going up there and the target goes on [the backs of the Knicks] instantly. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from instant instant entry 2 + -ly -ly entry 2

Conjunction

derivative of instantly entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Conjunction

1793, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

instantly

adverb

in·​stant·​ly

ˈin(t)-stənt-lē

: without delay : immediately

came instantly when I called