• IPA: /ˈɪnstənt/

instant (plural instants)

1. A very short period of time; a moment.

   She paused for only an instant, which was just enough time for John to change the subject.

2. A single, usually precise, point in time.

   The instant the alarm went off, he fled the building.

3. A beverage or food which has been pre-processed to reduce preparation time, especially instant coffee.
4. Ellipsis of instant camera#English|instant camera.

• French: instant
• German: Augenblick
• Italian: istante, attimo
• Portuguese: instante
• Russian: мгнове́ние
• Spanish: instante

• French: instant
• German: Augenblick, Moment
• Italian: istante
• Portuguese: instante
• Russian: мгнове́ние
• Spanish: momento

instant (not comparable)

1. (dated) Impending; imminent.

   Synonyms: pending, proximate, Thesaurus:impending

   • Impending death is thine, and instant doom.

2. (dated) Urgent; pressing; acute.
3. (dated) Insistent; persistent.

   Synonyms: exigent, imperious, Thesaurus:urgent

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Romans 12:12 ↗:

     Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.

   • I am beginning to be very instant for some sort of occupation.

4. (legal) Present; current; extant.
   • December 28, 2019 Attorney Jeffery S. Levin, quoted in The Boston Globe, p. 3

     He received just two disciplinary reports prior to committing the instant offense, one in March 2019 for activating an alarm during a non-emergency situation, and one in May 2019 for failing to provide a urine specimen.

5. Occurring immediately; immediate; present.

   Synonyms: instantaneous, Thesaurus:instantaneous

   • The instant time is always the fittest time.

6. Lasting for a short moment; momentary; short-lived.

   Synonyms: brief, transient, Thesaurus:ephemeral

7. Very quickly and easily prepared.

   instant coffee; instant noodles; instant mashed potato; instant photo

8. Of the current month.

   Synonyms: inst.

   I refer to your letter of the 16th instant in regard to traffic disruption.

• instakill
• instance

• German: bevorstehend
• Russian: настоя́тельный

• German: dringend
• Russian: сро́чный

• German: augenblicklich
• Italian: immediato
• Russian: неме́дленный

• German: momentan, vorübergehend
• Russian: неме́дленный

• French: instantané
• German: instant, fertig-
• Portuguese: instantâneo, instantânea
• Russian: раствори́мый

• German: dieses Monats, archaic: hujus

instant (not comparable)

1. (poetic) At once; immediately.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, I.182:

     He left the room for his relinquished sword, / And Julia instant to the closet flew.

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