instantly

1 of 2

adverb

in·​stant·​ly ˈin(t)-stənt-lē How to pronounce instantly (audio)
Synonyms of instantlynext
1
: without the least delay : immediately
2
: with importunity : urgently

instantly

2 of 2

conjunction

: as soon as
… he ran across the grass instantly he perceived his mother …William Thackeray

Examples of instantly in a Sentence

Adverb His voice is instantly recognizable. They instantly fell in love. She was killed instantly when her car hit a tree. Conjunction we realized there would be problems instantly we saw the final report
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adverb
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers almost instantly agreed with the jury’s decision, the NYT reported. Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026 The pair were just jamming out when Weinberg laid down an idea for a guitar line and Osby was struck with inspiration, instantly reciting lyrics over the chords. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2026 The other is real-time T+0, where every trade settles instantly, one by one, with no waiting or batching. Sharat Priya, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 Her simulation showed that even if half the network got destroyed instantly, the remaining nodes reorganized themselves and got communications going again in under a second. Laura Isensee, Scientific American, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for instantly

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from instant instant entry 2 + -ly -ly entry 2

Conjunction

derivative of instantly entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Conjunction

1793, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of instantly was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Instantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instantly. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

instantly

adverb
in·​stant·​ly
ˈin(t)-stənt-lē
: without delay : immediately
came instantly when I called

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