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Ask for help > Help with synonyms, please
Help with synonyms, please
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viccxx
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Both of them mean immediatelly but instant for me has the meaning of something happening right after something else, while instanteneous something that happens almost at the same time:
I turned off the lights and there was instant darkness
There was instantaneous thunder and lightning
the collocations make all the difference, I think;
Instant coffee, instant success, instant dismissal, instant death
Instantaneous hot water, instantaneous return, instantaneous impression, instantaneous velocity .
I hope this helps. |
14 Apr 2011
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magneto
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Thank you for your answer...That �s pretty much what I had in mind, but I needed some confirmation.
Thanks a bunch
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14 Apr 2011
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yanogator
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I don �t quite agree with your explanation, viccxx.
If I understand your meaning in "There was instantaneous thunder and lightning", I think you are saying that the thunder followed immediately after the lightning. When I read your sentence, it says to me that the thunder and lightning happened immediately after another unnamed event. For example, "As soon as I saw the black clouds there was instantaneous thunder and lightning".
Here �s how I would explain the difference, and it could sound ridiculous, so you might just throw it out.
Although both are adjectives, I see "instant" as describing the noun (as in instant coffee), and "instantaneous" as behaving somewhat like an adverb, telling "how" something happened (as its sister word "instantaneously" does).
The new president gained instant approval.
After the election, the president �s approval was instantaneous. (happened instantaneously)
I hope you can see what I mean about it seeming somewhat like an adverb. If not, just ignore this. Also, I usually don �t use "instantaneous" immediately before the noun, but after the verb (although your examples sound good to me, too).
Take it or leave it,
Bruce |
15 Apr 2011
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maoopa
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Hey Bruce,
Looking at your last example "the president �s approval was instantaneous" I get a bit confused.
Since "to be" is a linking verb, instant is not adverbial. It actually modifies the subject of the sentence.
I �d just say that they can be used interchangeably.
Thanks,
Mauro.
PS. Don �t mean to argue; I just think this is perfect for an academic discussion. |
15 Apr 2011
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Jayho
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I rarely hear instantaneously used. In fact, the only time I can think of at this early hour in the morning is in relation to instantaneous hot water systems, so maybe it is used in technical fields.
Anyway, a quick google came across a BBC explanation here. Maybe that will shed some light.
Cheers
Jayho |
15 Apr 2011
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yanogator
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maoopa, If you read what I wrote again, I said that "instantaneous" behaves somewhat like an adverb, not that it is an adverb. Bruce
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15 Apr 2011
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douglas
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This may not be completely correct, however:
It seems that when we use instantaneous(ly) we are talking about more than one thing that happpens at the same time. Instant can be for a single item. (??)
We experienced instantaneous thunder and lightning. (two things a the same time)
We drank instant coffee.
Just an observation--not sure if it really works in the long term. |
15 Apr 2011
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magneto
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Thank you all for your answers. You �ve been really helpful
The sentence I had found was this one: "This is a cumulative effect, not an instantaneous one." So...I started making my usual vocabulary notes, where I always include a table of words often confused, and it suddenly hit me: What is the difference between these two?
Cheers!
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15 Apr 2011
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