adverb
-
immediately; at once
-
archaic urgently or insistently
Synonym Usage
See immediately.
Etymology
Origin of instantly
Late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at instant, -ly
Explanation
Something happens instantly when there's no pause or delay at all before it occurs. If you fall asleep as soon as your head touches your pillow, you can say you drifted off instantly. If an event is immediate, it happens instantly. Your parents might say they fell in love instantly, the moment they first saw each other, and you may realize instantly on the first day of school that you are going to love your history class. The adverb instantly first meant "persistently," rather than "immediately," though it soon gained this meaning. The Medieval Latin root is instantem, "pressing, urgent," or "standing near."
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.
They gave us reason to trust them almost instantly.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
A lone star bite, in contrast, instantly injects a galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose carbohydrate molecule into the blood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
"We hadn't met previously but instantly felt a bond, a camaraderie of shared history as ex-lead singers of two brilliant bands," Finn wrote on Monday.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Separately, Citi said it is also now expanding its token services, which uses the bank’s own blockchain to enable multinationals to move their own money across the bank’s network instantly and around the clock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Magically controlled as he was, Samson planted all four feet in the dirt and leaned back, instantly skidding to a stop.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
