Definitions for instant
ˈɪn stəntin·stant

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. blink of an eye, flash, heartbeat, instant, jiffy, split second, trice, twinkling, wink, New York minutenoun

   a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

   "if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash"

2. moment, minute, second, instantadjective

   a particular point in time

   "the moment he arrived the party began"

3. instantaneous, instant(a)adjective

   occurring with no delay

   "relief was instantaneous"; "instant gratification"

4. instant, instadjective

   in or of the present month

   "your letter of the 10th inst"

5. clamant, crying, exigent, insistent, instantadjective

   demanding attention

   "clamant needs"; "a crying need"; "regarded literary questions as exigent and momentous"- H.L.Mencken; "insistent hunger"; "an instant need"

GCIDE(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Instantnoun

   A point in time; a moment; a portion of time too short to be estimated; also, any particular moment; as, the situation may change in an instant.

   Etymology: [F. instant, fr. L. instans standing by, being near, present. See Instant, a.]

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Instantadjective

   pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest

   Etymology: [L. instans, -antis, p. pr. of instare to stand upon, to press upon; pref. in- in, on + stare to stand: cf. F. instant. See Stand.]

2. Instantadjective

   closely pressing or impending in respect to time; not deferred; immediate; without delay

   Etymology: [L. instans, -antis, p. pr. of instare to stand upon, to press upon; pref. in- in, on + stare to stand: cf. F. instant. See Stand.]

3. Instantadjective

   present; current

   Etymology: [L. instans, -antis, p. pr. of instare to stand upon, to press upon; pref. in- in, on + stare to stand: cf. F. instant. See Stand.]

4. Instantadverb

   instantly

   Etymology: [L. instans, -antis, p. pr. of instare to stand upon, to press upon; pref. in- in, on + stare to stand: cf. F. instant. See Stand.]

5. Instantadjective

   a point in duration; a moment; a portion of time too short to be estimated; also, any particular moment

   Etymology: [L. instans, -antis, p. pr. of instare to stand upon, to press upon; pref. in- in, on + stare to stand: cf. F. instant. See Stand.]

6. Instantadjective

   a day of the present or current month; as, the sixth instant; -- an elliptical expression equivalent to the sixth of the month instant, i. e., the current month. See Instant, a., 3

   Etymology: [L. instans, -antis, p. pr. of instare to stand upon, to press upon; pref. in- in, on + stare to stand: cf. F. instant. See Stand.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Instant

   in′stant, adj. pressing, urgent: immediate: quick: without delay: present, current, as the passing month.—n. the present moment of time: any moment or point of time.—n. Instantanē′ity.—adj. Instantān′eous, done in an instant: momentary: occurring or acting at once: very quickly.—adv. Instantān′eously.—n. Instantān′eousness.—advs. Instan′ter, immediately; In′stantly, on the instant or moment: immediately: (Shak.) at the same time: (B.) importunately, zealously. [L. instans, -antis, pr.p. of instāre—in, upon, stāre, to stand.]

Matched Categories

1. • Moment

British National Corpus

1. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'instant' in Adjectives Frequency: #925

How to pronounce instant?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say instant in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of instant in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of instant in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of instant in a Sentence

1. Gina Knepp:

   Logan and Quinn Scharn had an instant connection, bringing many who witnessed the union to tears. When I saw Quinn Scharn and the dog together the immediate reaction was a welling of tears, there were a lot of tears yesterday, joyful tears.

2. Timothy Trun:

   It's been a real shocker, we're about to enjoy eating dinner, and the cops show up and tell us you have to go, and everything changes in an instant. You have five minutes to pack your bags with what you think you're going to need and you're off.

3. Napoleon Bonaparte:

   Never awake me when you have good news to announce, because with good news nothing presses but when you have bad news, arouse me immediately, for then there is not an instant to be lost.

4. Ervin Smolinski:

   Every month, I buy some instant tickets and send them as gifts to family members who have birthdays that month, it’s turned into a bit of a tradition, and now everyone sends me scratch offs and chocolate for my birthday.

5. Thomas Paine, in his "The Rights of Man" (1791):

   The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security.

Images & Illustrations of instant

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