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.
"It's like a switch that goes on and you're instantly starving."
From BBC
Roasted sweet potatoes perk up instantly with toasted pistachios.
From Salon
There’s enough “Whee!” to the experience to occupy an evening, but “Fire and Ash” is instantly forgettable.
“And then when they play music, you have to instantly realize why they’re together.”
From Los Angeles Times
"For me, instantly I thought I was in the middle of a terrorist incident," he said.
From BBC
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.
