Instant means happening immediately, without any delay or waiting. When you add hot water to instant oatmeal, it becomes ready to eat right away instead of needing to cook on the stove for ten minutes. When you send an instant message to a friend, it appears on their screen the moment you hit send.

An instant can also mean a very brief moment in time, so short you barely notice it passing. You might recognize someone's face in an instant, or a mood in a room might change in an instant when good news arrives.

We live in a world where many things have become instant: instant replays let sports fans see what just happened, instant cameras print photos seconds after you take them, and instant noodles cook in minutes instead of the hours traditional pasta-making required. The word captures our desire for speed and immediacy.

When something provides instant gratification, it gives you what you want right now rather than making you wait. Sometimes this is convenient and helpful, like when you instantly remember the answer to a question. Other times, the best things require patience and can't be rushed, no matter how much we might want instant results.