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Instant

/ˈɪnstənt/

A very short period of time; a moment.

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📖 Definitions of "Instant"

noun

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.

noun

1
A camera that uses self-developing film to create a chemically developed print shortly after the photograph is taken.

🔄 Synonyms of "Instant"

18 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
imperativenoun	Essential; crucial; extremely important.
exigentnoun	Urgent; pressing; needing immediate action.
insistent	Urgent in dwelling upon anything; persistent in urging or maintaining.
minutenoun	A unit of time which is one sixtieth of an hour (sixty seconds).
clamant	Urgent.
secondnoun	Number-two; following after the first one with nothing between them. The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number two.
cryingnoun	The act of one who cries; a weeping or shouting.
jiffynoun	(colloquial) A very short, unspecified length of time.
instantaneous	Occurring, arising, or functioning without any delay; happening within an imperceptibly brief period of time.
blink of an eyenoun	(idiomatic) A moment (a very short period of time).
twinklingnoun	Sparkling intermittently.
instnoun	Alternative form of inst..
split secondnoun	Alternative form of split-second. [(chiefly attributive) A stopwatch with two second hands, each of which may be stopped separately to time the intervals of a race by a sportsperson, or to time more than one sportsperson.]
flashnoun	(transitive) To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
momentnoun	A particular point of time; an instant.
new york minutenoun	(informal) An instant; an extremely short time.
tricenoun	Now only in the phrase in a trice: a very short time; the blink of an eye, an instant, a moment.
winknoun	(transitive, intransitive) To blink with only one eye as a message, signal, or suggestion, usually with an implication of conspiracy. (When transitive, the object may be the eye being winked, or the message being conveyed.)

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Instant"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
new york minutenoun	(informal) An instant; an extremely short time.
blink of an eyenoun	(idiomatic) A moment (a very short period of time).
jiffynoun	(colloquial) A very short, unspecified length of time.
momentnoun	A particular point of time; an instant.
instantaneous	Occurring, arising, or functioning without any delay; happening within an imperceptibly brief period of time.
presentnoun	Relating to now, for the time being; current.
secondnoun	Number-two; following after the first one with nothing between them. The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number two.
fastnoun	(dated) Firmly or securely fixed in place; stable.
imperativenoun	Essential; crucial; extremely important.
insistent	Urgent in dwelling upon anything; persistent in urging or maintaining.
exigentnoun	Urgent; pressing; needing immediate action.
clamant	Urgent.
instnoun	Alternative form of inst..
split secondnoun	Alternative form of split-second. [(chiefly attributive) A stopwatch with two second hands, each of which may be stopped separately to time the intervals of a race by a sportsperson, or to time more than one sportsperson.]
flashnoun	(transitive) To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
tricenoun	Now only in the phrase in a trice: a very short time; the blink of an eye, an instant, a moment.
twinklingnoun	Sparkling intermittently.
winknoun	(transitive, intransitive) To blink with only one eye as a message, signal, or suggestion, usually with an implication of conspiracy. (When transitive, the object may be the eye being winked, or the message being conveyed.)
cryingnoun	The act of one who cries; a weeping or shouting.
minutenoun	A unit of time which is one sixtieth of an hour (sixty seconds).