instant 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of instantnext
1
as in instantaneous
done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time an instant response to the cry for help

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in urgent
needing immediate attention an instant need for food supplies in the famine-stricken country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in current
existing or in progress right now we should be more concerned with instant dangers than with those in the far-off future

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

instant

2 of 2

noun

ˈin(t)-stənt How to pronounce instant (audio)
as in minute
a very small space of time it all happened in an instant

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of instant
Adjective
Supporters argue that the job has grown and that constituents now expect instant replies by text, email and social media. — Adam Wood, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026 Just before serving, dust with instant espresso powder if desired; sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2026
Noun
He is enchanted by the spinning itself, and even by his own enchantment – a spell that breaks the instant the top stops in his hand. — Stacy Keltner, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026 This American government,—what is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity? — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instant
  1. instantaneous
  2. urgent
  3. current
  4. minute
  5. immediate
  6. acute
  7. present
  8. second
Adjective
  • Commissioner Rob Manfred has portrayed the instantaneous lockout as a means of moving the talks along.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Cameras can’t see through dense fog or measure instantaneous velocity like radar can.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of instantaneous
Adjective
  • Hollywood largely stayed out of the fight despite what appears to be an increasingly urgent situation emerging in which workers across the industry are failing to qualify for union health insurance plans.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2026
  • With Anthropic expected to IPO sooner than later, an event that could tip the rest of the stock market into a tailspin, the question of how to cover this world without becoming an accessory to its interests feels ever more urgent.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of urgent
Adjective
  • The current titleholder of largest artificial reef is the USS Oriskany, a former aircraft carrier sunk in 2006 off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
    — Todd C. Frankel, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The governor described the GOP's current dynamic as a natural process for a party whose leader is deep in his second term.
    — STEVEN SLOAN, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of current
Noun
  • What to do nearby As with other safaris, days are bookended by morning and afternoon game drives, set largely around the east side of Madikwe, where the lodge is based (15 minutes from the airstrip).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Jake LaRavia picked up his fourth foul with eight minutes and two seconds left in the second quarter.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of minute
Adjective
  • There’s non-kaiju human death, too, including a flashback to the immediate aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing in which a bloodied grandfather discovers the charred remains of his daughter and grandson.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Learn More › Two hunting equipment manufacturers, Latitude Outdoors and Hunt Arsenal, have issued immediate stop-use notices following reports of potentially dangerous equipment failures.
    — Erik Barber, Outdoor Life, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of immediate
Adjective
  • The track’s watery percussion and acute synth stabs carry all the implication of a dancefloor, even without a beat.
    — Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Chronic diastolic congestive heart failure was an underlying cause, and acute renal failure was also listed as a significant contributing condition.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of acute
Adjective
  • Aleksandra Karapetrova, an alpine enthusiast and environmental scientist at the University of California, Riverside, used her unique skill set to find that microplastics are present in remote Sierra Nevada mountain snow reachable only on skis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • The fact that Chris may have been present in Dallas on that November day in 1963 intrigued the actor as well.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of present
Noun
  • Segura's first goal of the season came with assists from defender Ryan Porteous — the second of his career — and Leo Walta — his first in his fifth league appearance.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Bears kicker Yousef Obeid had four field goals in the game, including a 37-yarder that tied it at 20 with 32 seconds left.
    — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of second

Browse Nearby Words

instancy
instant
instantaneous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Instant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instant. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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