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

—W. M. Thackeray

Synonyms

Adverb

• immediately
• promptly
• now
• directly

Conjunction

• when
• immediately [chiefly British]
• 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

This feature allows the chronograph hands to reset to zero and restart instantly with a single press. —Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

As dutiful beauty editors, our eyes couldn’t help but instantly wander to her manicure, a lilac-milk look created by celebrity nail artist Jenny Longworth, who, aside from working with Rihanna, is also responsible for some of Harry Styles’s nail looks. —Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 1 July 2025

From there, just place your initial bet on any market and instantly receive the $150 in bonus bets. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025

So why the hell does this feel so generic, so by-the-numbers, so instantly forgettable? —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025

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