Instead Meaning
/ɪnˈstɛd/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
advIn the place of something (usually mentioned earlier); as a substitute or alternative.
Sentence Examples
I may give up soon and just nap instead.
I will play Sudoku then instead of continuing to bother you.
Lee was ill so I went instead.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
Instead of taking the train, they chose to drive ____ to save money.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Since it was raining, we decided to watch a movie at home ____ of going to the park as planned.
Word Origin & History
From in + stead, from Middle English ine (“in”) + stede (“stead”). Related to German statt.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’"
— 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
"Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […] But the scandals kept coming, […]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches."
— 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Instead of taking the train, they chose to drive ____ to save money.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Since it was raining, we decided to watch a movie at home ____ of going to the park as planned.