adverb
-
immediately; at once
-
archaic urgently or insistently
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.
The monogram is not something that instantly screams “Los Angeles,” though the iconic Dodgers logo — interlocking white letters on a blue hat — is one of the most memorable monograms in the world.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
When Ms. Gerson finally meets these descendants on a trip to Israel, she writes that, though strangers, they bond instantly, as if at a reunion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
The result is obtained instantly as the measured current.
From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026
We have all been conditioned for objects to work intuitively and instantly.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
It was a thick needle, a gauge meant for leather, not cloth, but as soon as it was in my hand, I felt instantly better.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
