instant
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
How often you will meet it
Rank 770 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 24,206 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.012% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
noun
- a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat) also: blink of an eye, flash, heartbeat, jiffy, split second, trice if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash
- a particular point in time also: moment, minute, second the moment he arrived the party began
adjective
- occurring with no delay also: instantaneous relief was instantaneousinstant gratification
- in or of the present month also: inst your letter of the 10th inst
- demanding attention also: clamant, crying, exigent, insistent clamant needsa crying need
instant in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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For an instant a hush spread over the people.
The Red Record Tabulated Statistics · Ida B. Wells-Barnett · Chapter 1
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But the instant Mrs. Ferguson was gone Christian locked the door.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1
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In an instant the sportsman let fall his gun, and Sugarlips ran affrighted towards the stile.
Sketches by Seymour — Volume 04 · Robert Seymour · Chapter 1
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In an instant he would be a cow, and then he would eat grass and satisfy his hunger.
The Magic of Oz · L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum · Chapter 1
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He heard a step on the stairs, and again for an instant the thought of tramps tore through him.
Ethan Frome · Edith Wharton · Chapter 1