instant
A very short period of time; a moment.
Example
“She paused for only an instant, which was just enough time for John to change the subject.”
Other meanings
A single, usually precise, point in time.
“The instant the alarm went off, he fled the building.”
A beverage or food which has been pre-processed to reduce preparation time, especially instant coffee.
Synonyms
- blink of an eye
- flash
- heartbeat
- split second
Word history
From Latin "instans" (īnstāns, īnstantis).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “instant” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.