INSTANT | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary

Home » à L'instant Meaning In English » INSTANT | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary

Maybe your like

Meaning of instant in English instantadjective uk /ˈɪn.stənt/ us /ˈɪn.stənt/ Add to word list Add to word list B2 happening immediately, without any delay: instant access This type of account offers you instant access to your money.instant success Contrary to expectations, the film was an instant success. Instant food or drink is dried, usually in the form of a powder, and can be prepared very quickly by adding hot water: instant coffee/soup
  • I'm afraid Dad took an instant dislike to this new boyfriend of yours.
  • Some people expect instant gratification .
  • I felt an instant aversion to his parents.
  • There's no instant way of finding a cure - it's just a process of trial and error.
  • I can't stand instant coffee.
Immediately
  • a stitch in time (saves nine) idiom
  • ado
  • at/in one fell swoop idiom
  • bat
  • cuff
  • deferrable
  • directly
  • fell
  • glance
  • instantaneous
  • instantaneously
  • instantly
  • light switch
  • no sooner said than done idiom
  • soon
  • straight
  • swiftly
  • swiftness
  • then and there idiom
  • waste
See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Various qualities of food instantnoun [ S ] uk /ˈɪn.stənt/ us /ˈɪn.stənt/ an extremely short period of time: in an instant In an instant, her mood had changed.for an instant The startled boy froze for an instant, then fled.not for an instant I'm not for an instant suggesting that any senior managers were involved in this. Synonyms jiffy informal moment (SHORT TIME) split secondCompare in a trice mainly UK informal Short in time
  • abbreviated
  • at a moment's/two hours'/three weeks', etc. notice idiom
  • awhile
  • be short notice idiom
  • bite-sized
  • blink
  • bout
  • brief
  • briefly
  • dose
  • in a moment
  • in abbreviated form
  • in an instant
  • in small doses idiom
  • in the blink of an eye idiom
  • short-range
  • short-stay
  • shortness
  • snatched
  • split second
See more results »

Idiom

this instant

the instant

idiom at the exact or first moment when: I'll call you the instant (= as soon as) I get home. The baby was born the instant he left the room. He was recognized the instant he left the hotel. You should question that kind of gossip the instant you hear it. Can I switch on my phone the instant the plane's wheels hit the ground? Simultaneous and consecutive
  • accompanied by someone/something
  • accompaniment
  • accompany
  • all the while idiom
  • along
  • fly
  • go along phrasal verb
  • heavy rotation
  • in parallel idiom
  • in rotation idiom
  • in tandem idiom
  • minute
  • row
  • simultaneously
  • simultaneousness
  • soon
  • step
  • straight
  • successive
  • turn
See more results » (Definition of instant from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

instant | American Dictionary

instantnoun [ C usually sing ] us /ˈɪn·stənt/ Add to word list Add to word list a very short moment of time, or a particular point in time: At that instant, someone knocked on the door. Call me the instant you get home (= as soon as you get to your home). instantadjective [ not gradable ] us /ˈɪn·stənt/ happening immediately: I took an instant liking to him. An instant food or drink is one, usually in dried or powdered form, that can be prepared easily and quickly, esp. by adding hot water: instant coffee (Definition of instant from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

instant | Business English

instantadjective uk /ˈɪnstənt/ us Add to word list Add to word list happening immediately, without any delay: This type of bank account gives you instant access to your money. Following a need for instant results, more health care providers are starting to offer online access. (Definition of instant from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of instant

instant Figure 4 shows the mass density from the second simulation at six instants. From the Cambridge English Corpus Figure 9 shows the magnetic field lines at the six instants. From the Cambridge English Corpus Figure 1 shows the mass density at six instants. From the Cambridge English Corpus The two types of walks propagate at somewhat different speeds, as evidenced by the different time instants at which they have the same width. From the Cambridge English Corpus Time instants are (a) 30t and (b) 50t. From the Cambridge English Corpus On the other hand, time-triggered systems are not so flexible because communication takes place at pre-defined instants only. From the Cambridge English Corpus Besides the optimal control is sensitive with respect to the switching instants and, consequently, to the parameter values. From the Cambridge English Corpus Vertical lines on all graphs show the phase transition instants. From the Cambridge English Corpus Perhaps the sample instants are in the centres of the gradations, but that would still lead to a different answer from the one shown. From the Cambridge English Corpus Here are the elementary things: pitches, time instants, levels of intensity. From the Cambridge English Corpus The score consists of control structures which allow events to be scheduled at instants in time or over time intervals. From the Cambridge English Corpus Figure 3 shows the characteristic photographic images of the rupture process of the separating membrane for different instants of time. From the Cambridge English Corpus Figure 3 shows the characteristic photographic images of the separating membrane destruction process at different instants of time. From the Cambridge English Corpus However, there is also a requirement to support sporadic/aperiodic communications whose transmission instants cannot be determined a priori. From the Cambridge English Corpus The power minimisation is an important consideration, but instants with very high power demands may occur. From the Cambridge English Corpus See all examples of instant These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. What is the pronunciation of instant?

Translations of instant

in Chinese (Traditional) 立即的，立刻的, （食品或飲品）速食的，方便的，即溶的, 瞬息，頃刻… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 立即的，即刻的, （食品或饮品）快餐的，方便的，速溶的, 瞬息，顷刻… See more in Spanish inmediato, instantáneo, instantáneo/nea [masculine-feminine… See more in Portuguese instantâneo, imediato, instantâneo/-ea… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian तात्काळ, त्या क्षणी, तयार… See more 即時の, インスタントの, 即時（そくじ）の… See more ani, anlık, hemen olan… See more immédiat/-ate, instantané/-ée, instant [masculine]… See more immediat, instantani… See more onmiddellijk, kant-en-klaar, instant… See more எந்த தாமதமும் இல்லாமல் உடனடியாக நடக்கிறது, உடனடி உணவு அல்லது பானம் உலர்த்தப்படுகிறது, பொதுவாக ஒரு தூள் வடிவில்… See more तत्काल, इंस्टैंट फूड या ड्रिंक आमतौर पर एक पाउडर के रूप में होता है, और इसे गर्म पानी डालकर तुरंत तैयार कर लिया जाता है… See more તરત, તાત્કાલિક, ઇન્સ્ટન્ટ… See more øjeblikkelig, minut-, færdig-… See more ögonblicklig, omedelbar, snabb-… See more segera, makanan segera, pada masa itu juga… See more augenblicklich, Fertig-…, sofort…… See more øyeblikkelig, pulver-, pose-… See more فوری, بلا تاخیر, انسٹنٹ… See more негайний, миттєвий, розчинний… See more వెంటనే ఎటువంటి ఆలస్యం లేకుండా జరుగు, ఇన్స్టంట్ ఆహారం లేదా పానీయం సాధారణంగా ఎండబెట్టి పొడి చేసిన రూపంలో ఉంటుంది, దానికి వేడి నీరు జోడించి చాలా తొందరగా తయారు చేసుకోవచ్చు… See more তাত্ক্ষণিক, তাত্ক্ষণিক খাবার বা পানীয়… See more okamžitý, instantní, okamžik… See more seketika, instan, saat… See more ทันที, (อาหาร) ปรุงได้ที่, ทันใดนั้น… See more ngay lập tức, ăn liền, lúc… See more natychmiastowy, rozpuszczalny, w proszku… See more 즉각적인, 인스턴트의… See more istantaneo, immediato, istante… See more Need a translator?

Get a quick, free translation!

Translator tool

Browse

instance instanced instancing instancy instant instant access instant access account instant coffee instant gratification {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of instant

  • IM
  • instant message
  • instant replay
  • instant access
  • instant coffee
  • instant runoff
  • in an instant
See all meanings
  • this instant idiom

Word of the Day

allergy

UK /ˈæl.ə.dʒi/ US /ˈæl.ɚ.dʒi/

a condition that makes a person become sick or develop skin or breathing problems because they have eaten certain foods or been near certain substances

About this

Blog

Throwing a punch or throwing your head back: using the verb ‘throw’

March 04, 2026 Read More

New Words

fail watching March 09, 2026 More new words has been added to list To top AI icon AI Assistant Contents EnglishAmericanBusinessExamplesTranslations AI icon AI Assistant {{#displayLoginPopup}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Learn more with +Plus

Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content: Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans Sign up now or Log in Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Learn more with +Plus

Create word lists and quizzes for free Sign up now or Log in {{/displayLoginPopup}} {{#displayClassicSurvey}} {{/displayClassicSurvey}}
  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
  • My profile
  • +Plus help
  • Log out
AI Assistant Dictionary Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English Translations Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Bilingual Dictionaries English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English English–Danish Danish–English English–Dutch Dutch–English English–French French–English English–German German–English English–Indonesian Indonesian–English English–Italian Italian–English English–Japanese Japanese–English English–Norwegian Norwegian–English English–Polish Polish–English English–Portuguese Portuguese–English English–Spanish Spanish–English English–Swedish Swedish–English Semi-bilingual Dictionaries English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Gujarati English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Urdu English–Vietnamese Translate Grammar Thesaurus Pronunciation Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Games {{userName}}
  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
  • My profile
  • +Plus help
  • Log out
Log in / Sign up English (UK) Change English (UK) English (US) Español Português 中文 (简体) 正體中文 (繁體) Dansk Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt Svenska Українська 日本語 한국어 ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు বাঙ্গালি मराठी हिंदी Follow us Choose a dictionary
  • Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
  • Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
  • Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
  • Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
  • Translation Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Bilingual Dictionaries
    • English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
    • English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
    • English–Danish Danish–English
    • English–Dutch Dutch–English
    • English–French French–English
    • English–German German–English
    • English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
    • English–Italian Italian–English
    • English–Japanese Japanese–English
    • English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
    • English–Polish Polish–English
    • English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
    • English–Spanish Spanish–English
    • English–Swedish Swedish–English
    Semi-bilingual Dictionaries English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Gujarati English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Urdu English–Vietnamese
  • Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
Choose your language English (UK) English (US) Español Português 中文 (简体) 正體中文 (繁體) Dansk Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt Svenska Українська 日本語 한국어 ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు বাঙ্গালি मराठी हिंदी Contents
  • English   AdjectiveNounIdiom
  • American   NounAdjective
  • Business   Adjective
  • Examples
  • Translations
  • Grammar
  • All translations
My word lists

To add instant to a word list please sign up or log in.

Sign up or Log in My word lists

Add instant to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

Something went wrong.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{name}} More Go to your word lists {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

Something went wrong.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} Tell us about this example sentence: The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! Your feedback will be reviewed. {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

There was a problem sending your report.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! Your feedback will be reviewed. {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

There was a problem sending your report.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}}

Tag » à L'instant Meaning In English