instead

adverb

in·​stead in-ˈsted 

1

: as a substitute or equivalent

was going to write but called instead

2

: as an alternative to something expressed or implied : rather

longed instead for a quiet country life

Synonyms of instead

• rather

Examples of instead in a Sentence

I was offered a ride, but I chose to walk instead.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those galaxies could have some globular clusters around them, but their central regions would be almost completely devoid of stars, being anchored instead by nearly 100% dark matter. —Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026

Precision warfare promises control but can clearly escalate chaos instead. —Robert A. Pape In The Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026

The administration officials instead acknowledged there was a more general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces, two of the people said. —Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026

There was an undercurrent of confidence across the collections, where designers weren’t chasing spectacle, but instead refining their codes and pushing them forward in thoughtful ways. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing instead

• instead of

Rhymes for instead

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bloodshed
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead

Kids Definition

instead

adverb

in·​stead in-ˈsted 

: as a substitute

was going to write but called instead