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

Armed with a talented squad, Keegan’s Fulham played swashbuckling, attacking football that fans instantly fell in love with. — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Na'amoana and her husband were already the parents of four children ages 1 to 10, so the quadruplets' birth instantly doubled their number of children. — ABC News, 21 July 2026

Sukita created photographs that have become part of cultural history, with work that is timeless, intimate and instantly recognizable, demonstrating the power of photography to shape the identity of artists and entire eras. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026

Soccer fans, both long-time and bandwagon, instantly connect to this global sporting event because they became invested in something together, something larger than themselves. — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 21 July 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