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.
“When I look at it, I see the hills outside of Wellington or people with moko tattoos—things that just make me instantly think of home.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
If it meets Ford’s targets, Fathom would instantly become one of the top-selling EVs in the U.S. in the first year of its production.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Phil tenure and instantly part of Bowl lore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Kusama, instantly recognisable in her bright red wig and bold spotted outfits, worked well into old age from the psychiatric hospital in Tokyo where she lived voluntarily for the second half of her life.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Besides making Coal instantly popular at both the middle and high schools, it had made the news and sparked a congressional investigation into military experiments.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
