Instant

Noun

 * 1) A very short period of time; a moment.
 * 2) * She paused for only an instant, which was just enough time for John to change the subject.
 * 3) A single, usually precise, point in time.
 * 4) * The instant the alarm went off, he fled the building.
 * 5) An instant beverage or food, especially instant coffee.
 * 6) The current month (abbreviated as: inst.)
 * 7) * In response to your letter of the twenty-first instant...

Adjective

 * 1) Impending; imminent.
 * 2) Urgent; pressing; acute.
 * 3) Occurring immediately; immediate; present.
 * 4) Lasting for a short moment; momentary; short-lived.
 * 5) Very quickly and easily prepared (food or drink), for example instant coffee.
 * 6) Of the current month (abbreviation inst.)
 * 7) * “I refer to your letter of the 16th inst. in regard to traffic disruption”

Derived terms

 * instantize, instantise
 * instantly
 * instant replay

Related terms

 * instakill
 * instance

Adverb

 * 1)  At once; immediately.
 * 2) * 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, I.182:
 * He left the room for his relinquished sword, / And Julia instant to the closet flew.

Related terms

 * inst
 * instance
 * instancy
 * instantaneous
 * instantaneously
 * instanter
 * instantial
 * instantiate
 * instantly

Thesaurus
a breath, about to be, actual, acute, alert, already in sight, approaching, apt, as is, at hand, being, bit, breath, breathing, brewing, burning, clamant, clamorous, close, close at hand, coming, compelling, contemporaneous, contemporary, coup, crack, critical, crucial, crying, current, cursory, day, decisive, demanding, dire, direct, draining, earnest, exacting, exigent, existent, existing, exorbitant, expeditious, extant, extortionate, fateful moment, festinate, feverish, flash, flying, forthcoming, fresh, furious, future, gathering, going to happen, grasping, hair-trigger, half a jiffy, half a mo, half a second, half a shake, hasty, high-pressure, high-priority, hour, hurried, immanent, immediate, imminent, impendent, impending, imperative, imperious, importunate, in danger imminent, in prospect, in reserve, in store, in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view, insistent, instantaneous, interval, jiff, jiffy, juncture, kairos, last-minute, latest, lightning-like, little, little bit, little while, looming, loud, lowering, lurking, menacing, microsecond, millisecond, minute, modern, moment, moment of truth, momentaneous, momentary, near, near at hand, nearing, new, no time, on the horizon, on the spot, overhanging, overnight, pair of winks, passing, period, persistent, pertinacious, pivotal, point, pregnant moment, prepared, preparing, present, present-age, present-day, present-time, pressing, presto, prompt, psychological moment, punctual, quick, quick as lightning, quick as thought, ready, ready-made, ready-mixed, running, season, sec, second, shake, short spell, short time, slap-bang, slapdash, small space, snap, space, span, speedy, spell, split second, spurt, stage, stretch, stroke, summary, superficial, swift, taxing, that be, that is, that will be, threatening, tick, time, time lag, to come, topical, trice, twink, twinkle, twinkling, twitch, two shakes, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute, upcoming, urgent, waiting, while, wink

Etymology 1
From instans “a moment of time”, formed as the adjective.

Etymology 2
< and  instant: <  instans:, present participle of instare: < in: + stare:; see state.

Noun

 * Arabic: لحظة
 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin:, 瞬间, 剎那, 刹那
 * Czech: ,
 * Danish:
 * Dutch:, ,
 * Esperanto:
 * Finnish:
 * French:
 * German:


 * Greek:
 * Hebrew:
 * Hungarian:
 * Italian: ,
 * Japanese:
 * Portuguese:
 * Russian: ,
 * Spanish:
 * Swahili:
 * Swedish:
 * Turkish:


 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin:, 瞬间, 剎那, 刹那
 * Czech: ,
 * Danish:
 * Dutch: ,
 * Esperanto:
 * Finnish:
 * French:


 * Greek:
 * Hungarian:
 * Italian:
 * Japanese:
 * Portuguese:
 * Russian: ,
 * Spanish:
 * Swedish:
 * Turkish:


 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin:


 * Japanese: 即席, インスタント
 * Romanian:

Adjective

 * Dutch: op handen zijnd, dreigend
 * Japanese: 差し迫った, 切迫した


 * Russian: ,


 * Dutch: ,
 * Finnish:


 * Japanese: 急ぎの, 火急の, 緊急の
 * Russian: настоятельный (nastoját'el'nyj), безотлагательный (b'ezotlagát'el'nyj)


 * Dutch: onmiddelijk, ogenblikkelijk
 * Finnish:
 * Italian:
 * Japanese: 即席の, その場で決めた; 瞬時の


 * Russian:
 * Scottish Gaelic: grad
 * Swedish: ,


 * Dutch:


 * Finnish:


 * Czech:
 * Dutch: kant-en-klaar
 * Finnish: pika-
 * French:


 * Japanese: 即席の, インスタントの
 * Swedish: snabb-, kvick-
 * Turkish:


 * Japanese: 今月の

Adjective

 * 1)  pressing, insistent

Noun

 * 1) instant, minute, moment

Derived terms

 * de tous les instants
 * instantané

Adjective

 * 1) instant

Adverb

 * 1) instantly

Etymology
instant