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Synonyms

instantly

American  
[in-stuhnt-lee] / ˈɪn stənt li /

adverb

  1. immediately; at once.

    Synonyms:
    forthwith
  2. urgently.


conjunction

  1. as soon as; directly.

    I recognized her instantly she entered the room.

instantly British  
/ ˈɪnstəntlɪ /

adverb

  1. immediately; at once

  2. archaic urgently or insistently

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See immediately.

Etymology

Origin of instantly

Late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; instant, -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"When we gave sugar to the mice in hypoxia, it disappeared from their bloodstream almost instantly," says Yolanda Martí-Mateos, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Jain's lab and first author of the new study.

From Science Daily

Arsenal are still in a superb position in every competition – positions they would have instantly signed up for in August.

From BBC

A German listener can instantly narrow the options, ruling out masculine or neuter singular nouns.

From Science Daily

That’s the funny part about Keller’s goal: It instantly eclipsed another outrageous goal, which happened with Team USA down 1-0 and three-quarters of the way out the door.

From The Wall Street Journal

Almost instantly, Peruvians are calling the appointment of Balcazar a huge mistake.

From Barron's