instant

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• /ˈɪnstənt/
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• CMU ARPABET: IH1 N S T AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From French instant and Middle English instant, both from Old French, from Latin instans (“standing by, being near, present, also urgent, importunate”), present participle of instō (“to stand upon, press upon, urge, pursue, insist”), from in (“on, upon”) + stō (“to stand”); see state.

From Middle English instant (“infinitely short period of time”), from Old French instant (“assiduous, at hand”, adjective), from Latin īnstāns, īnstantis (“present, pressing, urgent”, literally “standing near”), present active participle of īnstō (“to stand upon, be nearby”), from in- (“after”) + stō (“to stand”). Compare Old English instede (“immediately, on the spot, at once”). More at in, stand.

Ultimately from Latin īnstāre; its precise evolution is uncertain. OED hints at (unattested) Middle French *instanter.

193 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Bulgarian: незабавен (nezabaven) — imminent
• Finnish: välitön — imminent
• German: bevorstehend — imminent
• Hungarian: fenyegető — imminent
• Hungarian: közeli — imminent
• Japanese: 差し迫った (sashisematta) — imminent
• Japanese: 切迫した (seppaku shita) — imminent
• Romanian: iminent — imminent
• Russian: настоя́тельный (nastojátelʹnyj) — imminent
• Russian: безотлага́тельный (bezotlagátelʹnyj) — imminent
• Russian: предстоя́щий (predstojáščij) — imminent
• Bulgarian: спешен (spešen) — urgent
• Chinese Mandarin: 紧急的 — urgent
• Chinese Mandarin: 紧迫的 — urgent
• Dutch: dringend — urgent
• Dutch: ogenblikkelijk — urgent
• Finnish: välitön — urgent
• Finnish: kiireellinen — urgent
• German: dringend — urgent
• Hungarian: sürgős — urgent
• Hungarian: sürgető — urgent
• Irish: práinneach — urgent
• Japanese: 急ぎの (isogi no) — urgent
• Japanese: 火急の (kakyū no) — urgent
• Japanese: 緊急の (kinkyū no) — urgent
• Romanian: urgent — urgent
• Russian: сро́чный (sróčnyj) — urgent
• Russian: настоя́тельный (nastojátelʹnyj) — urgent
• Russian: безотлага́тельный (bezotlagátelʹnyj) — urgent
• Turkish: acil — urgent
• Bulgarian: непосредствен (neposredstven) — immediate
• Chinese Mandarin: 立即的 — immediate
• Dutch: onmiddellijk — immediate
• Dutch: ogenblikkelijk — immediate
• Finnish: välitön — immediate
• German: augenblicklich — immediate
• Hebrew: בִּן רֶגַע (bin regá') — immediate
• Hungarian: azonnali — immediate
• Hungarian: rögtöni — immediate
• Hungarian: egyszeriben/rögtön elérhető — immediate
• Italian: immediato — immediate
• Japanese: 即席の (sokuseki no) — immediate
• Japanese: その場で決めた (sonoba de kimeta) — immediate
• Japanese: 瞬時の (shunji no) — immediate
• Latin: punctum temporis — immediate
• Romanian: instant — immediate
• Romanian: imediat — immediate
• Russian: неме́дленный (nemédlennyj) — immediate
• Russian: теку́щий (tekúščij) — immediate
• Scottish Gaelic: grad — immediate
• Swedish: ögonblicklig — immediate
• Swedish: omedelbar — immediate
• Turkish: şipşak — immediate
• Bulgarian: моментален (momentalen) — momentary
• Dutch: kortstondig — momentary
• Finnish: hetkellinen — momentary
• German: momentan — momentary
• German: vorübergehend — momentary
• Hebrew: בִּן רֶגַע (bin regá') — momentary
• Hungarian: pillanatnyi — momentary
• Hungarian: átmeneti — momentary
• Hungarian: múló — momentary
• Romanian: momentan — momentary
• Romanian: trecător — momentary
• Russian: неме́дленный (nemédlennyj) — momentary
• Chinese Cantonese: 即食的 (zik1 sik6) — quickly prepared
• Chinese Mandarin: 速溶的 — quickly prepared
• Chinese Mandarin: 即食的 — quickly prepared
• Czech: instantní — quickly prepared
• Dutch: kant-en-klaar — quickly prepared
• Finnish: pika- — quickly prepared
• French: instantané — quickly prepared
• German: instant- — quickly prepared
• German: fertig- — quickly prepared
• Hebrew: בִּן רֶגַע (bin regá') — quickly prepared
• Hungarian: konyhakész — quickly prepared
• Hungarian: gyors- — quickly prepared
• Hungarian: nesz- — quickly prepared
• Hungarian: instant — quickly prepared
• Indonesian: instan — quickly prepared
• Japanese: 即席の (sokuseki no) — quickly prepared
• Japanese: インスタントの (insutanto no) — quickly prepared
• Korean: 인스턴트의 (inseuteonteu-ui) — quickly prepared
• Malay: segera — quickly prepared
• Polish: błyskawiczny — quickly prepared
• Portuguese: instantâneo — quickly prepared
• Portuguese: instantânea — quickly prepared
• Romanian: instant — quickly prepared
• Russian: раствори́мый (rastvorímyj) — quickly prepared
• Spanish: instantáneo — quickly prepared
• Swedish: snabb- — quickly prepared
• Thai: สําเร็จรูป (sǎm-rèt-rûup) — quickly prepared
• Turkish: hazır — quickly prepared
• Bulgarian: текущ (tekušt) — of the current month
• Bulgarian: този месец (tozi mesec) — of the current month
• Finnish: tämän kuun — of the current month
• German: dieses Monats — of the current month
• German: hujus — of the current month
• Hungarian: folyó/f. hó/havi — of the current month
• Japanese: 今月の (kongetsu no) — of the current month
• Romanian: acestei luni — of the current month
• Swedish: dennes — of the current month
• Arabic: لَحْظَة (laḥẓa) — period of time
• Chinese Mandarin: 瞬間 /瞬间 (shùnjiàn) — period of time
• Chinese Mandarin: 剎那 /刹那 (chànà) — period of time
• Chinese Mandarin: 须臾 (xūyú) — period of time
• Czech: okamžik — period of time
• Czech: moment — period of time
• Danish: øjeblik — period of time
• Dutch: moment — period of time
• Dutch: ogenblik — period of time
• Dutch: poosje — period of time
• Esperanto: momento — period of time
• Finnish: hetki — period of time
• French: instant — period of time
• Galician: intre — period of time
• Galician: instante — period of time
• Gallurese: stunda — period of time
• German: Augenblick — period of time
• German: Moment — period of time
• Greek: στιγμή (stigmí) — period of time
• Ancient Greek: στιγμή (stigmḗ) — period of time
• Hebrew: רֶגַע (rega) — period of time
• Hungarian: pillanat — period of time
• Ido: instanto — period of time
• Italian: istante — period of time
• Italian: attimo — period of time
• Japanese: 瞬間 (shunkan) — period of time
• Korean: 순간 (sun'gan) — period of time
• Norwegian Bokmål: øyeblikk — period of time
• Polish: chwila — period of time
• Polish: moment — period of time
• Portuguese: instante — period of time
• Portuguese: momento — period of time
• Romanian: moment — period of time
• Romanian: clipă — period of time
• Russian: мгнове́ние (mgnovénije) — period of time
• Russian: моме́нт (momént) — period of time
• Sanskrit: क्षण (kṣaṇa) — period of time
• Scottish Gaelic: priobadh — period of time
• Scottish Gaelic: mòmaid — period of time
• Spanish: instante — period of time
• Swahili: sasa — period of time
• Swedish: ögonblick — period of time
• Tagalog: takda — period of time
• Tocharian B: kṣāṃ — period of time
• Tocharian B: prentse — period of time
• Turkish: an — period of time
• Vietnamese: chốc — period of time
• Vietnamese: chốc lát — period of time
• Vietnamese: giây lát — period of time
• Vietnamese: chút — period of time
• Vietnamese: khoảnh khắc — period of time
• Yiddish: אויגנבליק (oygnblik) — period of time
• Bulgarian: момент (moment) — point in time
• Chinese Mandarin: 瞬間 /瞬间 (shùnjiàn) — point in time
• Chinese Mandarin: 剎那 /刹那 (chànà) — point in time
• Czech: okamžik — point in time
• Czech: moment — point in time
• Danish: øjeblik — point in time
• Dutch: moment — point in time
• Dutch: ogenblik — point in time
• Esperanto: momento — point in time
• Finnish: hetki — point in time
• French: instant — point in time
• Galician: intre — point in time
• Galician: momento — point in time
• German: Augenblick — point in time
• German: Moment — point in time
• Greek: στιγμή (stigmí) — point in time
• Ancient Greek: στιγμή (stigmḗ) — point in time
• Hungarian: pillanat — point in time
• Italian: istante — point in time
• Japanese: 瞬間 (shunkan) — point in time
• Polish: chwila — point in time
• Polish: moment — point in time
• Portuguese: instante — point in time
• Romanian: moment — point in time
• Russian: мгнове́ние (mgnovénije) — point in time
• Russian: моме́нт (momént) — point in time
• Sanskrit: क्षण (kṣaṇa) — point in time
• Spanish: momento — point in time
• Swedish: ögonblick — point in time
• Tagalog: takna — point in time
• Turkish: an — point in time
• Chinese Mandarin: 方便 (fāngbiàn) — instant beverage or food
• Finnish: pikaruoka — instant beverage or food
• Finnish: pikakahvi — instant beverage or food
• German: Instantessen — instant beverage or food
• Japanese: 即席 (sokuseki) — instant beverage or food
• Japanese: インスタント (insutanto) — instant beverage or food
• Korean: 인스턴트 (inseuteonteu) — instant beverage or food
• Polish: błyskawiczny — instant beverage or food