instant
adjective
[ ˈɪnst(ə)nt ]
• happening or coming immediately.
• "the offence justified instant dismissal"
Similar:
immediate,
instantaneous,
on-the-spot,
prompt,
direct,
swift,
speedy,
rapid,
quick,
expeditious,
express,
lightning,
sudden,
precipitate,
abrupt,
snappy,
p.d.q. (pretty damn quick),
fleet,
rathe,
alacritous,
• urgent; pressing.
• "an instant desire to blame others when things go wrong"
• (in business letters) of the current month.
• "your letter of the 6th instant"
• of the present moment.
instant
noun
• a precise moment of time.
• "come here this instant!"
Similar:
moment,
time,
point in time,
moment in time,
minute,
second,
hour,
stage,
phase,
juncture,
point,
• a very short time; a moment.
• "for an instant the moon disappeared"
Similar:
short time,
little while,
bit,
moment,
minute,
second,
split second,
trice,
twinkling,
twinkling of an eye,
flash,
(less than) no time,
no time at all,
sec,
nanosecond,
jiffy,
jiff,
two shakes of a lamb's tail,
the blink of an eye,
mo,
two ticks,
snap,
• instant coffee.
Origin:
late Middle English (in instant (sense 2 of the adjective, sense 3 of the adjective, sense 4 of the adjective)): via Old French from Latin instant- ‘being at hand’, from the verb instare, from in- ‘in, at’ + stare ‘to stand’.
