2N-SING [usu at/inN](某一)时刻 If you say that something happens at a particular instant, you mean that it happens at exactly the time you have been referring to, and you are usually suggesting that it happens quickly or immediately. (某一)时刻
At that instant the museum was plunged into total darkness.
ADJECTIVE | VERB + INSTANT | PREPOSITIONADJECTIVE➤brief, fleeting一瞬間;剎那間◇For a brief instant, I thought she was going to fall.剎那間我以為她要倒下了。➤given, one, single特定瞬間;片刻;一剎那◇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。◇At any given instant the distribution of molecular speeds is always constant under the same conditions.在相同條件下,分子速度分佈在任何時刻都是恆定的。➤very就在那一刻◇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,一個男子衝進了房間。VERB + INSTANT➤hesitate for, pause for猶豫/停頓片刻◇He paused for an instant before continuing.他停頓了片刻才繼續下去。PREPOSITION➤at...instant在⋯時刻◇The bomb could go off at any instant.炸彈隨時都可能爆炸。➤for an instant剎那間◇Just for an instant I thought he was going to refuse.我一時以為他要拒絕。➤in an instant轉瞬間◇It was all over in an instant.轉瞬之間一切都結束了。➤the next instant瞬間之後◇The next instant she was flying through the air.一轉眼,她已經在空中飛行了。➤instant after, instant before⋯之後/⋯之前的瞬間◇She woke up in the instant before the phone rang.她剛剛醒來電話鈴就響了。instant
adjective
VERBS | ADVERBVERBS➤be立即ADVERB➤almost幾乎即刻◇His response was almost instant.他幾乎立即作出反應。