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

The color tones are beige, navy, and blue, the enormous Ritz-Carlton mattress with chunky pillows and plush duvet, and excellent soundproofing instantly calm you. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

Behind the glass sat a sea-foam green Hermes 3000, a pre-1966 model, instantly recognizable by its bulbous body and soft, swelling curves. —Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

Benefit applied instantly at time of booking. —Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 1 June 2026

And yet COOs like him are already accountable for their output — output that can scale instantly and go wrong just as fast. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 June 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