Instant

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Adverb
• HYPHEN: in=stant

CIDE DICTIONARY

Instant, a. [L. instans, -antis, p. pr. of instare to stand upon, to press upon; pref. in- in, on + stare to stand: cf. F. instant. See Stand.].

•  Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.  [1913 Webster]

  "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer."  [1913 Webster]

  "I am beginning to be very instant for some sort of occupation."  [1913 Webster]
•  Closely pressing or impending in respect to time; not deferred; immediate; without delay.  [1913 Webster]

  "Impending death is thine, and instant doom."  [1913 Webster]
•  Present; current.  [1913 Webster]

  " The word in this sense is now used only in dates, to indicate the current month; as, the tenth of July instant."  [1913 Webster]

  "The instant time is always the fittest time."  [1913 Webster]

Instant, adv. 

 Instantly.  [1913 Webster]
"Instant he flew with hospitable haste."  [1913 Webster]

Instant, n. [F. instant, fr. L. instans standing by, being near, present. See Instant, a.].

•  A point in time; a moment; a portion of time too short to be estimated; also, any particular moment; as, teh situation may change in an instant.  [1913 Webster]

  "There is scarce an instant between their flourishing and their not being."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Instant, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 occurring immediately (gives an instant result).
2 a (of food etc.) ready for immediate use, with little or no preparation. b prepared hastily and with little effort (I have no instant solution).
3 urgent; pressing.
4 Commerce of the current month (the 6th instant).
5 archaic of the present moment.
--n.
1 a precise moment of time, esp. the present (come here this instant; went that instant; told you the instant I heard).
2 a short space of time (was there in an instant; not an instant too soon).

Idiom

instant replay the immediate repetition of part of a filmed sports event, often in slow motion.

Etymology

ME f. F f. L instare instant- be present, press upon (as IN-(2), stare stand)

THESAURUS

Instant

a breath, about to be, actual, acute, alert, already in sight, approaching, apt, as is, at hand, being, bit, breath, breathing, brewing, burning, clamant, clamorous, close, close at hand, coming, compelling, contemporaneous, contemporary, coup, crack, critical, crucial, crying, current, cursory, day, decisive, demanding, dire, direct, draining, earnest, exacting, exigent, existent, existing, exorbitant, expeditious, extant, extortionate, fateful moment, festinate, feverish, flash, flying, forthcoming, fresh, furious, future, gathering, going to happen, grasping, hair-trigger, half a jiffy, half a mo, half a second, half a shake, hasty, high-pressure, high-priority, hour, hurried, immanent, immediate, imminent, impendent, impending, imperative, imperious, importunate, in danger imminent, in prospect, in reserve, in store, in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view, insistent, instantaneous, interval, jiff, jiffy, juncture, kairos, last-minute, latest, lightning-like, little, little bit, little while, looming, loud, lowering, lurking, menacing, microsecond, millisecond, minute, modern, moment, moment of truth, momentaneous, momentary, near, near at hand, nearing, new, no time, on the horizon, on the spot, overhanging, overnight, pair of winks, passing, period, persistent, pertinacious, pivotal, point, pregnant moment, prepared, preparing, present, present-age, present-day, present-time, pressing, presto, prompt, psychological moment, punctual, quick, quick as lightning, quick as thought, ready, ready-made, ready-mixed, running, season, sec, second, shake, short spell, short time, slap-bang, slapdash, small space, snap, space, span, speedy, spell, split second, spurt, stage, stretch, stroke, summary, superficial, swift, taxing, that be, that is, that will be, threatening, tick, time, time lag, to come, topical, trice, twink, twinkle, twinkling, twitch, two shakes, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute, upcoming, urgent, waiting, while, wink

ROGET THESAURUS

Instant

Requirement

N requirement, need, wants, necessities, necessaries, necessaries of life, stress, exigency, pinch, sine qua non, matter of necessity, case of need, case of life or death, needfulness, essentiality, necessity, indispensability, urgency, requisition, run upon, demand, call for, charge, claim, command, injunction, mandate, order, precept, desideratum, want, Adj, required, requisite, needful, necessary, imperative, essential, indispensable, prerequisite, called for, in demand, in request, urgent, exigent, pressing, instant, crying, absorbing, in want of, destitute of, ex necessitate rei, of necessity, there is no time to lose, it cannot be spared, it cannot be dispensed with, mendacem memorem esse oportet, necessitas non habet legem, nec tecum possum trivere nec sine te.

Importance

N importance, consequence, moment, prominence, consideration, mark, materialness, import, significance, concern, emphasis, interest, greatness, superiority, notability, weight, value, usefulness, gravity, seriousness, solemnity, no joke, no laughing matter, pressure, urgency, stress, matter of life and death, memorabilia, notabilia, great doings, red-letter day, great thing, great point, main chance, the be all and the end all, cardinal point, substance, gist, sum and substance, gravamen, head and front, important part, principal part, prominent part, essential part, half the battle, sine qua non, breath of one's nostrils, cream, salt, core, kernel, heart, nucleus, keynote, keystone, corner stone, trump card, salient points, top sawyer, first fiddle, prima donna, chief, triton among the minnows, 'it', important, of importance, momentous, material, to the point, not to be overlooked, not to be despised, not to be sneezed at, egregious, weighty, of note, notable, prominent, salient, signal, memorable, remarkable, unforgettable, worthy of remark, worthy of notice, never to be forgotten, stirring, eventful, grave, serious, earnest, noble, grand, solemn, impressive, commanding, imposing, urgent, pressing, critical, instant, paramount, essential, vital, all-absorbing, radical, cardinal, chief, main, prime, primary, principal, leading, capital, foremost, overruling, of vital importance in the front rank, first-rate, superior, considerable, marked, rare, significant, telling, trenchant, emphatic, pregnant, tanti, materially, in the main, above all, kat' exochin, par excellence, to crown all, to beat all, expende Hannibalem!.

Activity

N activity, briskness, liveliness, animation, life, vivacity, spirit, dash, energy, snap, vim, nimbleness, agility, smartness, quickness, velocity, alacrity, promptitude, despatch, dispatch, expedition, haste, punctuality, eagerness, zeal, ardor, perfervidum aingenium, empressement, earnestness, intentness, abandon, vigor, devotion, exertion, industry, assiduity, assiduousness, sedulity, laboriousness, drudgery, painstaking, diligence, perseverance, indefatigation, habits of business, vigilance, wakefulness, sleeplessness, restlessness, insomnia, pervigilium, insomnium, racketing, movement, bustle, stir, fuss, ado, bother, pottering, fidget, fidgetiness, flurry, officiousness, dabbling, meddling, interference, interposition, intermeddling, tampering with, intrigue, press of business, no sinecure, plenty to do, many irons in the fire, great doings, busy hum of men, battle of life, thick of the action, housewife, busy bee, new brooms, sharp fellow, sharp blade, devotee, enthusiast, zealot, meddler, intermeddler, intriguer, busybody, pickthank, hummer, hustler, live man, rustler, active, brisk, brisk as a lark, brisk as a bee, lively, animated, vivacious, alive, alive and kicking, frisky, spirited, stirring, nimble, nimble as a squirrel, agile, light-footed, nimble-footed, featly, tripping, quick, prompt, yare, instant, ready, alert, spry, sharp, smart, fast, quick as a lamplighter, expeditious, awake, broad awake, go-ahead, live wide-awake, forward, eager, strenuous, zealous, enterprising, in earnest, resolute, industrious, assiduous, diligent, sedulous, notable, painstaking, intent, indefatigable, unwearied, unsleeping, never tired, plodding, hard-working, businesslike, workaday, bustling, restless, restless as a hyena, fussy, fidgety, pottering, busy, busy as hen with one chicken, working, at work, on duty, in harness, up in arms, on one's legs, at call, up and doing, up and stirring, busy, occupied, hard at work, hard at it, up to one's ears in, full of business, busy as a bee, busy as a one-armed paperhanger, meddling, meddlesome, pushing, officious, overofficious, intrigant, astir, stirring, agoing, afoot, on foot, in full swing, eventful, on the alert, actively, with life and spirit, with might and main &c, with haste, with wings, full tilt, in mediis rebus, Int, be alive, look alive, look sharp!, move on, push on!, keep moving!, go ahead!, stir your stumps!, age quod agis!, jaldi!, karo!, step lively!, carpe diem, seize the day, nulla dies sine linea, nec mora nec requies, the plot thickens, No sooner said than done, veni vidi vici, catch a weasel asleep, abends wird der Faule fleissig, dictum ac factum, schwere Arbeit in der Jugend ist sanfte Ruhe im Al, hard work in youth means soft rest in age, the busy hum of men.

Instantaneity

N instantaneity, instantaneousness, immediacy, suddenness, abruptness, moment, instant, second, minute, twinkling, trice, flash, breath, crack, jiffy, coup, burst, flash of lightning, stroke of time, epoch, time, time of day, time of night, hour, minute, very minute, very time, very hour, present time, right time, true time, exact correct time, instantaneous, momentary, sudden, immediate, instant, abrupt, discontinuous, precipitous, precipitant, precipitate, subitaneous, hasty, quick as thought, quick as lightning, quick as a flash, rapid as electricity, speedy, quick, fast, fleet, swift, lively, blitz, rapid (velocity), instantaneously, in no time, in less than no time, presto, subito, instanter, suddenly, at a stroke, like a shot, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, in the twinkling of an eye, in a trice, in one's tracks, right away, toute a l'heure, at one jump, in the same breath, per saltum, uno saltu, at once, all at once, plump, slap, at one fell swoop, at the same instant, immediately, extempore, on the moment, on the spot, on the spur of the moment, no sooner said than done, just then, slap-dash, touch and go, no sooner said than done, instantaneity, instantaneousness, immediacy, suddenness, abruptness, moment, instant, second, minute, twinkling, trice, flash, breath, crack, jiffy, coup, burst, flash of lightning, stroke of time, epoch, time, time of day, time of night, hour, minute, very minute, very time, very hour, present time, right time, true time, exact correct time, instantaneous, momentary, sudden, immediate, instant, abrupt, discontinuous, precipitous, precipitant, precipitate, subitaneous, hasty, quick as thought, quick as lightning, quick as a flash, rapid as electricity, speedy, quick, fast, fleet, swift, lively, blitz, rapid (velocity), instantaneously, in no time, in less than no time, presto, subito, instanter, suddenly, at a stroke, like a shot, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, in the twinkling of an eye, in a trice, in one's tracks, right away, toute a l'heure, at one jump, in the same breath, per saltum, uno saltu, at once, all at once, plump, slap, at one fell swoop, at the same instant, immediately, extempore, on the moment, on the spot, on the spur of the moment, no sooner said than done, just then, slap-dash, touch and go, no sooner said than done.

The Present Time

N the present, the present time, the present day, the present moment, the present juncture, the present occasion, the times, the existing time, the time being, today, these days, nowadays, our times, modern times, the twentieth century, nonce, crisis, epoch, day, hour, age, time of life, present, actual, instant, current, existing, extant, that is, present-day, up-to-date, up-to-the-moment, at this time, at this moment, at the present time, now, at present, at hand, at this time of day, today, nowadays, already, even now, but now, just now, on the present occasion, for the time being, for the nonce, pro hac vice, on the nail, on the spot, on the spur of the moment, until now, to this day, to the present day, the present hour alone is man's.

Destiny

N destiny, future existence, post existence, hereafter, future state, next world, world to come, after life, futurity, everlasting life, everlasting death, life beyond the grave, world beyond the grave, prospect, impending, destined, about to be, happen, coming, in store, to come, going to happen, instant, at hand, near, near, close at hand, over hanging, hanging over one's head, imminent, brewing, preparing, forthcoming, int he wind, on the cards, in reserve, that will, is to be, in prospect, looming in the distance, horizon, future, unborn, in embryo, int he womb of time, futurity, pregnant, in time, the long run, all in good time, eventually, whatever may happen, as chance would have it.