EN

Synonyms for instant

53 synonyms
4 antonyms
5 meanings

adjective
noun

Most common

brief swift transient momentary immediate instantaneous importunate pending

Synonyms by meaning

Adjective

1. Quick — lasting for a short moment; momentary; short-lived

quick, swift, momentary, passing, brief, transient, flying

2. Instantaneous — occurring immediately; immediate; present

instantaneous, immediate, current, present dated

3. Urgent — insistent; persistent

urgent, crying, exigent, pressing, dire, imperative, acute, earnest, imperious, insistent, importunate, clamant rare

4. Imminent — impending; imminent

to come, imminent, impending, pending, upcoming, proximate, forthcoming, impendent dated

Noun

1. Flash — A very short period of time; a moment

moment, second, jiffy, minute, trice, twinkling, split-second, no time, point in time, point, while, bit, occasion, heart beat, sec informal, twinkle, wink, half a mo informal, spurt, tick, juncture, span

Antonyms

eternal, heavenly, evanescent

All antonyms of instant →

Definitions

adj. 1
Impending; imminent.
adj. 2
Insistent; persistent.
adj. 3
Occurring immediately; immediate; present.
n. 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.

Related words

Word family: instantly instakill instance
Phrases: this instant instant replay instant camera instant karma instant mash instant mashed potatoes instant noodle instant sunrise

Forms

Plural: instants → moments, seconds, jiffies, minutes…

Example sentences

brief It was a long letter, but in brief, he said, "No."
swift No one predicted the swift collapse of the regime.
transient Everything is transient and therefore sorrowful.
momentary He gave a momentary glance to the passers by.
immediate The new medicine demonstrated an immediate effect.
instantaneous Lightning is nearly instantaneous.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
instant		steady
brief		steady
swift		rising
transient		steady
momentary		rising
immediate		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: bit¹, sec¹
4 letters: span¹, tick¹, dire¹, wink¹
5 letters: while¹, point¹, quick¹, brief¹, swift¹, acute², spurt¹, jiffy², trice¹
6 letters: second², moment², minute², flying², crying², urgent²
7 letters: current², present², passing², pending², earnest², twinkle², exigent³, clamant
8 letters: occasion³, upcoming³, pressing², imminent³, juncture²
9 letters: immediate⁴, impending³, transient², momentary⁴, insistent³, twinkling³, imperious⁴, proximate³, impendent
10 letters: imperative⁴
11 letters: forthcoming³, importunate
13 letters: instantaneous⁵

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (acute² = 2 syllables).