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# instant

«instant» in Mova's school dictionary: **Happening at once, with no wait: «an instant reply»** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (instant); noun (an instant, instants)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Happening at once, with no wait: «an instant reply». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#m1)

2) (of food or drink) Made very quickly, usually by adding hot water: «instant noodles». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#m2)

3) (noun) A very short moment: «For an instant, nobody moved». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#m3)

4) (the instant) As soon as: «Call me the instant you arrive». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life: instant noodles, instant coffee, instant messaging, an instant camera. In stories «in an instant» or «for an instant» shows something happened very fast or for a moment. Phrases: «in an instant», «at that instant», «the instant (that)», «instant replay». Adverb: instantly.

### examples

- The magic potion had an instant effect. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#x1)
- We had instant noodles for lunch. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#x2)
- In an instant, the lights went out. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#x3)
- Come here this instant! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#x4)
- Call me the instant the cake is ready. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#x5)
- The film was an instant success. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#x6)
- For an instant, I thought I saw a ghost. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#x7)
- In an instant he was there. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/#x8)

### note

«An instant» (vowel sound). Adverb: instantly. Do not confuse with «instance» (an example: «for instance»). «This instant» means right now, often in a strict command.

### In the corpora

- [I demand an instant explanation.»](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/45-willows-ch6-part1-the-hour-of-toad/30/)
- [The Badger: «He must never be left an instant unguarded … till the poison has worked itself out of his system».](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/46-willows-ch6-part2-not-sorry-and-locked-up/38/)
- [Instant coffee is coffee liquid that was dried; ground coffee does not fully dissolve, so it needs a filter.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/chemistry/6-mixing-and-dissolving/15/)
- [Power tools such as drills, saws and hedge trimmers cut and crush in an instant.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/115-fire-candles-and-garden-tools/14/)
- [Light is fast but not instant: sunlight that warms your face on the beach left the Sun about 8 minutes 20 seconds ago.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/space/22-distances-and-light-years/2/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «instant» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instant/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.