Synonyms of instant

83 similar words

Another word for instant is immediate. Other synonyms of instant are eyeblink, flash, jiffy, bat of an eye and bit.

Synonyms and similar words for instant

eyeblinkA moment (a very short period of time).
flashA very short amount of time.
jiffyA very short, unspecified length of time.
bat of an eyeSynonym of blink of an eye.
bitSpecifically, a small amount of time.
blink of an eyeA moment (a very short period of time).
half a moA brief time; a jiffy.
jiffA jiffy; a moment; a short time.
minuteA short but unspecified time period.
mo
momentA particular point of time; an instant.
New York minuteAn instant; an extremely short time.
New York secondSynonym of New York minute (“short instant of time”).
no timeA very short period of time.
secSecond, ¹⁄₆₀ of a minute.
secondA short, indeterminate amount of time.
span
split-secondA fraction of a second; hence (figurative, also attributive) a very short time period; an instant, a moment.
spurtA moment, a short period of time.
tickA short period of time, particularly a second.
triceNow only in the phrase in a trice: a very short time; the blink of an eye, an instant, a moment.
twinkA very short moment of time.
twinkleA brief moment; a twinkling.
twinklingA very short period, notionally the time it takes to blink the eyes.
whileAn uncertain short moment.
crack British, datedA brief time; an instant; a jiffy.
glimpse rareA brief, unspecified amount of time; a moment.
jot obsoleteAn instant, a moment.
stound archaic, dialectalA brief span of time, moment, instant.

pending
proximate
around the cornerImminent; very soon.
at hand
forthcomingApproaching or about to take place.
imminentAbout to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long.
impendentImpending; threatening.
impendingApproaching; drawing near; about to happen or expected to happen.
in the offing
in the wind
on the boil
upcoming
to comeImminent; coming; future.
toward dated

instantaneousOccurring, arising, or functioning without any delay; happening within an imperceptibly brief period of time.
immediateHappening right away, instantly, with no delay.
insta-Instant.
present obsoleteNot delayed; immediate; instant.

brief
transient
earthlyRelating to the earth or this world, as opposed to heaven or the heavens.
ephemeral
deciduous
evanescentEphemeral, fleeting, momentary.
fleetingPassing quickly; of short duration.
flying
fugaciousFleeting, fading quickly, transient.
fugitive
momentary
passingThat passes away; ephemeral.
perishableLiable to perish, especially naturally subject to quick decomposition or decay.
quick
short
short-lived
temporaryExisting only for a short time or short times.
transitive
transitoryLasting only a short time; temporary.
volatileTemporary or ephemeral.
worldly
seasonable obsolete
whilend obsoletePassing; temporal; temporary; not lasting; not permanent; transient; transitory; not eternal.

noun A very short period of time; a moment.
noun A single, usually precise, point in time.
noun A beverage or food which has been pre-processed to reduce preparation time, especially instant coffee.

What is another word for instant?: Instant has 83 synonyms on Word.ws, such as immediate, eyeblink, flash, jiffy, bat of an eye, bit, blink of an eye and half a mo.
What does instant mean?: Instant means a very short period of time; a moment.

Adapted from Wiktionary: instant (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “Synonyms of instant.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/instant. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.