instant

• adj. 立即的；紧急的；紧迫的
• n. 瞬间；立即；片刻

in-,进入，使，靠近，-st,站立，词源同stand,state.即站在附近的，紧急待命的，后引申词义立即的。

1. a very short time (as the time it takes the eye blink or the heart to beat);

"if I had the chance I'd do it in a flash"

2. a particular point in time;

"the moment he arrived the party began"

instant

instant: [15] Latin instāre meant ‘be present’ (it was a compound verb formed from the prefix in- ‘upon’ and stāre ‘stand’). Its present participle instāns was used adjectivally for ‘present’, and hence by extension for ‘urgent’. The latter was actually the meaning originally taken up by English, but it has now virtually died out. ‘Present’ was introduced in the mid-16th century (it now survives in the abbreviation inst, used in giving dates to signify ‘the present month’), and by the end of the century this had evolved into the main current sense ‘immediate’.

The noun instant ‘moment’ comes from medieval Latin tempus instāns ‘present time’. Derived from instāns was the Latin noun instantia ‘presence, urgency’. Again it was the latter that originally came into English with instance [14]. The main modern sense ‘example’, first recorded in the 16th century, appears to come ultimately from a semantic progression in medieval Latin from ‘urgency’ to ‘eager solicitation’ and hence to ‘legal pleading’.

Further metaphoricization took it on to ‘new argument or example adduced to counter a previous one’, and hence in due course to simply ‘example’.
=> instance, stand, station, statue

instant (n.)

late 14c., "infinitely short space of time," from Old French instant (adj.) "assiduous, at hand," from Medieval Latin instantem (nominative instans), in classical Latin "present, pressing, urgent," literally "standing near," present participle of instare "to urge, to stand near, be present (to urge one's case)," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Elliptical use of the French adjective as a noun.

instant (adj.)

mid-15c., "present, urgent," from Old French instant (14c.), from Latin instantem (nominative instans) "pressing, urgent," literally "standing near" (see instant (n.)). Meaning "now, present" is from 1540s, and led to the use of the word in dating of correspondence, in reference to the current month, often abbreviated inst. and persisting at least into the mid-19c. Thus 16th inst. means "sixteenth of the current month." Sense of "immediately" is from 1590s. Of foods, by 1912. Televised sports instant replay attested by 1965. Instant messaging attested by 1994.

fast, quick, rapid, swift, hasty, prompt, speedy, instant

这几个形容词都有"快，迅速"之意。

fast： 常指人或物持续地高速运动，强调运动的方式。

quick： 特指瞬时动作，强调动作敏捷迅速；也指匆忙的行为，而不暗示速度很快。

rapid比fast和quick正式，常指运动本身，侧重速度惊人。所指动作可能是短暂的，也可能是持续的。

swift： 正式用词，强调非常迅速，往往含动作轻快敏捷之意。

hasty： 多指匆忙、草率或仓促的行动，着重缺乏深思熟虑。

prompt： 主要指动作迅速，毫不拖延，含"快得令人愉悦"的意味。

speedy： 指人或物或其运动、活动时，着重极度的快捷，多含匆忙意味。

instant： 指某事很快发生或急待解决，含刻不容缓之意。

moment, minute, instant

这些名词均含"瞬间，片刻"之意。

moment较minute所表示的时间短，指一刹那或一段很短时间。有时也含持续的意味。

minute： 指极短的时间，但可觉察到时间的持续。

instant常与moment换用，指一瞬间，但更侧重时间短促，多用于表示紧迫、瞬变等情况。

Only a few months later Leah opened her first yoga studio, but success was not instant.

出自-2017年6月阅读原文

In an era of instant information, shoppers can use their mobile phones to find deals.

出自-2017年6月听力原文

But texting and instant messaging do — and a revolution has begun.

出自-2014年6月阅读原文

Cell phones provide instant access to people.

出自-2013年12月阅读原文

While schools emphasize its usefulness-online research in class and instant polling of students, for example - a big part of the attraction is, undoubtedly, that the iPhone is cool and a hit with students.

出自-2013年6月阅读原文

By offering instant discounts worth as much as $100, DeWalt launched a trade-in program to encourage people to bring back tools.

2019年6月六级真题（第二套）阅读 Section B

She suggests downloading the Instant or Moment apps to see how many times you turn on your phone each day.

2018年12月六级真题（第一套）阅读 Section B

Your mind produces instant reactions in your body.

2019年6月六级真题（第一套）听力 Section B

It can provide students with instant feedback, including reports about their strengths and weaknesses.

2015年高考英语安徽卷 阅读理解 阅读A 原文

The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.

2015年高考英语重庆卷 阅读理解 阅读B 原文

While there are amazing stories of instant transformation, for most of us the changes are gradual and require a lot of effort and work, like cleaning up a polluted river.

2014年高考英语全国卷1 语法填空 原文

Our mental health doesn’t really go anywhere; like the sun behind a cloud, it can be temporarily hidden from view, but it is fully capable of being restored in an instant.

出自-2016年考研翻译原文

Their reactions may be a complex combination of instant reflexes, input from past driving experiences, and what their eyes and ears tell them in that moment.

2020年考研真题（英语一）翻译 Section Ⅲ

She took an instant dislike to me.

她立刻就讨厌我。

牛津词典

This account gives you instant access to your money.

这个账户让你随时调动款项。

牛津词典

The show was an instant success.

演出一炮打响。

牛津词典

instant coffee

速溶咖啡

牛津词典

I'll be back in an instant.

我马上就回来。

牛津词典

Just for an instant I thought he was going to refuse.

刹那间我以为他会拒绝。

牛津词典

At that (very) instant, the door opened.

就在那时，门开了。

牛津词典

I recognized her the instant (that) (= as soon as) I saw her.

我一眼就认出她了。

牛津词典

Come here this instant (= immediately) !

马上过来！

牛津词典

For an instant, Catherine was tempted to flee...

有那么一会儿,凯瑟琳很想逃跑。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The pain disappeared in an instant.

疼痛立刻就消失了。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

At that instant the museum was plunged into total darkness...

就在那时,博物馆陷入了一片漆黑。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

In the same instant he flung open the car door.

与此同时,他猛地推开了车门。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

I had bolted the door the instant I had seen the bat.

我一看到蝙蝠就把门闩上了。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Mr Porter's book was an instant hit...

波特先生的书一经推出便大受欢迎。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He had taken an instant dislike to Mortlake.

他一到莫特莱克就觉得不喜欢这个地方。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...instant coffee.

速溶咖啡

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He paused for an instant.

他停了一会儿.

《现代英汉综合大词典》

Not for an instant did I believe he had lied.

我根本就不相信他撒了谎.

《简明英汉词典》

It all happened in an instant.

这一切都发生在一刹那间.

《简明英汉词典》