- [countable, usually singular] a very short period of time瞬間；片刻 synonym moment
- in an instant I'll be back in an instant.我馬上就回來。
- for an instant Just for an instant I thought he was going to refuse.刹那間我以爲他會拒絕。
Extra Examples- For a brief instant, I thought she was going to fall.剎那間我以爲她要倒下了。
- He paused for an instant before continuing.他停頓了片刻才繼續下去。
- His news was too important to be contained for a single instant longer.他的消息太重要了，不容片刻耽誤，要馬上發出去。
- It was all over in an instant.轉瞬之間一切都結束了。
- She woke up in the instant before the phone rang.她剛剛醒來電話鈴就響了。
Topics Timec1Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjectiveverb + instantpreposition- at…instant
- for an instant
- in an instant
- …
See full entry - [countable, usually singular] a particular point in time某一時刻
- at that instant At that (very) instant, the door opened.就在那時，門開了。
- the instant (that)… I recognized her the instant (that) (= as soon as) I saw her.我一眼就認出她了。
- this instant Come here this instant (= immediately)!馬上過來！
Extra Examples- The next instant she was flying through the air.一轉眼，她已經在空中飛行了。
- The bomb could go off at any instant.炸彈随時都可能爆炸。
- At any given instant the distribution of molecular speeds is always constant under the same conditions.在相同條件下，分子速度分布在任何時刻都是恒定的。
- He took out his keys to lock the door. At that very instant the door flew open and a man ran into the room.他拿出鑰匙準備鎖門，恰在此時，門突然被撞開，一個男子沖進了房間。
- (informal)
(also instant coffee)
[uncountable] coffee that can be made quickly and easily by adding hot water 速食的；即食的；速溶的；方便的- Do you want some coffee? Is instant OK?你想喝點咖啡嗎？即時可以嗎？
Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from Latin instant- ‘being at hand’, from the verb instare, from in- ‘in, at’ + stare ‘to stand’.