instant

[in·stant]

An instant is a very short time. In combinations like instant coffee and instant replay it means available right away without a wait.

...

Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.

Noun
a particular point in time; "the moment he arrived the party began"

Noun
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye blink or the heart to beat); "if I had the chance I''d do it in a flash"

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

Adjective S.
in or of the present month; "your letter of the 10th inst"

a.
Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.

a.
Closely pressing or impending in respect to time; not deferred; immediate; without delay.

a.
Present; current.

adv.
Instantly.

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

a.
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.

Instant

In"stant , a. [L. instans, -antis, p. pr. of instare to stand upon, to press upon; pref. in- in, on + stare to stand: cf. F. intant. See Stand.] 1. Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.

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

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

2. Closely pressing or impending in respect to time; not deferred; immediate; without delay.

Impending death is thine, and instant doom.

3. Present; current.

The instant time is always the fittest time.

&hand; The word in this sense is now used only in dates, to indicate the current month; as, the tenth of July instant.

Instant

In"stant, adv. Instantly. [Poetic]

Instant he flew with hospitable haste.

Instant

In"stant, n. [F. instant, fr. L. instans standing by, being near, present. See Instant, a.] 1. A point in duration; a moment; a portion of time too short to be estimated; also, any particular moment.

There is scarce an instant between their flourishing and their not being.

2. 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. Syn. -- Moment; flash; second.

Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.

Instantly.

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

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Usage Examples

Growing up on stage, I was introduced to makeup at a young age and I will never forget the first time I tried on a L'Oreal Paris iconic lipstick - it was instant glamour and I've been hooked ever since.

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication is totally disorganized.

But I'm acutely aware that the possibility of fraud is even more prevalent in today's world because of the Internet and cell phones and the opportunity for instant communication with strangers.

During the past few decades, modern technology, with radio, TV, air travel, and satellites, has woven a network of communication which puts each part of the world in to almost instant contact with all the other parts.

Each instant of life is a step toward death.

Humanity needs dreams to be able to survive the miseries of daily existence, even if only for an instant.

I'm working on bringing the instant film camera back as part of the future.

Misspelled Form

instant, uinstant, 8instant, 9instant, oinstant, jinstant, kinstant, unstant, 8nstant, 9nstant, onstant, jnstant, knstant, iunstant, i8nstant, i9nstant, ionstant, ijnstant, iknstant, ibnstant, ihnstant, ijnstant, imnstant, i nstant, ibstant, ihstant, ijstant, imstant, i stant, inbstant, inhstant, injstant, inmstant, in stant, inastant, inwstant, inestant, indstant, inxstant, inzstant, inatant, inwtant, inetant, indtant, inxtant, inztant, insatant, inswtant, insetant, insdtant, insxtant, insztant, insrtant, ins5tant, ins6tant, insytant, insgtant, insrant, ins5ant, ins6ant, insyant, insgant, instrant, inst5ant, inst6ant, instyant, instgant, instqant, instwant, instsant, instzant, instqnt, instwnt, instsnt, instznt, instaqnt, instawnt, instasnt, instaznt, instabnt, instahnt, instajnt, instamnt, insta nt, instabt, instaht, instajt, instamt, insta t, instanbt, instanht, instanjt, instanmt, instan t, instanrt, instan5t, instan6t, instanyt, instangt, instanr, instan5, instan6, instany, instang, instantr, instant5, instant6, instanty, instantg.

Other Usage Examples

Ancient recipients of instant news probably couldn't do very much about it, for instance. Xerxes would still need three months to get his army together, and he might not get home for years.

Humor can alter any situation and help us cope at the very instant we are laughing.

Acting is not about dressing up. Acting is about stripping bare. The whole essence of learning lines is to forget them so you can make them sound like you thought of them that instant.

How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?

Books had instant replay long before televised sports.

I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time.

I bought some instant water one time but I didn't know what to add to it.

I'd like to be able to travel anywhere in an instant.