in·stant
ˈin(t)-stənt 
1
: an infinitesimal space of time
especially
: a point in time separating two states
at the instant of death
2
: the present or current month
1
: produced or occurring with or as if with extreme rapidity and ease
3
a(1)
: premixed or precooked for easy final preparation
instant pudding
(2)
: appearing in or as if in ready-to-use form
instant poetry
b
: immediately soluble in water
instant coffee
4
5
instantness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of instant in a Sentence
Noun
For an instant, I forgot where I was.
The ride was over in an instant.
Adjective
The movie was an instant hit.
He became an instant celebrity with the publication of his first novel.
We got an instant response from the company.
The Internet provides instant access to an enormous amount of information.
Is this coffee instant or regular?
Recent Examples on the Web
Tom Llamas, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
The album was an instant hit, becoming Beyoncé’s eighth solo album to bow at No. 1 and the biggest debut of 2024 so far.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Those out of direct harm’s way for now nevertheless taste fear in every breath, knowing their situation could change in an instant.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2024
Kids pull that trigger and in an instant, their life has changed.
—Mykal McEldowney, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Mar. 2024
What is a $5,000,000 100X Cash instant game? $5,000,000 100X Cash is a scratch-off game from the Massachusetts Lottery.
—USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
Untamed was an instant hit following its publication in March 2020, spending seven weeks at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list and eventually selling more than 2 million copies.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024
Mulaney’s capsule stand-up set was an instant hit and landed him at the top of our list as the candidate to host an award show next year.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
Christiansen said that upon its launch in December, the game was an instant hit, with 2.4 million people playing it concurrently.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024
Ben Church, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
This allows for boiling water to be used for oatmeal or instant soups.
—Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
As the first generation to have grown up with the internet at their fingertips as toddlers, Gen Z is used to having instant access to information, experts said.
—Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
But insiders say the app’s well of instant virality could be drying up.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The pain of looking at the sun is not instant and the same goes for symptoms of damage.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
By comparison, most other instant withdrawal casinos feature 10 developers or less.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons had instant chemistry.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Successful rep or not, however, Betts would consult with infield coach Dino Ebel, or solicit instant feedback from teammate Miguel Rojas.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
But the death of Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed last month by an armed person during a traffic stop in Queens, became a grim reminder of what can happen to any of them in an instant.
—Tom Llamas, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
The album was an instant hit, becoming Beyoncé’s eighth solo album to bow at No. 1 and the biggest debut of 2024 so far.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Those out of direct harm’s way for now nevertheless taste fear in every breath, knowing their situation could change in an instant.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2024
Kids pull that trigger and in an instant, their life has changed.
—Mykal McEldowney, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Mar. 2024
What is a $5,000,000 100X Cash instant game? $5,000,000 100X Cash is a scratch-off game from the Massachusetts Lottery.
—USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
Untamed was an instant hit following its publication in March 2020, spending seven weeks at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list and eventually selling more than 2 million copies.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024
Mulaney’s capsule stand-up set was an instant hit and landed him at the top of our list as the candidate to host an award show next year.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
Christiansen said that upon its launch in December, the game was an instant hit, with 2.4 million people playing it concurrently.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024
Adjective
In search of an equalizer, Klopp introduced Mohamed Salah after the break and the Egyptian almost made an instant impact.
—Ben Church, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
This allows for boiling water to be used for oatmeal or instant soups.
—Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
As the first generation to have grown up with the internet at their fingertips as toddlers, Gen Z is used to having instant access to information, experts said.
—Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
But insiders say the app’s well of instant virality could be drying up.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The pain of looking at the sun is not instant and the same goes for symptoms of damage.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
By comparison, most other instant withdrawal casinos feature 10 developers or less.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons had instant chemistry.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Successful rep or not, however, Betts would consult with infield coach Dino Ebel, or solicit instant feedback from teammate Miguel Rojas.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'instant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near instant
Cite this Entry
“Instant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instant. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instant
1 of 2 noun
in·stant
ˈin(t)-stənt
: a very small space of time : moment
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