Meanings
nouninstant karma (uncountable)
- uncountableA circumstance where something deserving but unexpected happens, especially, when a person's actions backfire and cause an immediate unforeseen and unintended effect that may be deemed just deserts for those actions.
Don't surround yourself with yourself Move on back two squares Send an instant karma to me Initial it with loving care.
1971, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, “I've Seen All Good People”, performed by Yes1 more example
The eyes that met Paul's across a crowded London club 22 years ago when she was an unknown freelance photographer and he was, what? A god? "Instant karma" — this said romantically.
1991 May 5, The Canberra Times, page 9, column 2
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
Translations
Arabic العدالة الفورية
- العدالة الفورية (al-'adālah al-fawriyyah)circumstance
Chinese Mandarin 現世報 /现世报
- 現世報 /现世报 (xiànshìbào)circumstance
French retour de bâton
- retour de bâtoncircumstance
German sofortiges Karma, kleine Sünden bestraft der liebe Gott sofort
- sofortiges Karmacircumstance
- kleine Sünden bestraft der liebe Gott sofortcircumstance
Hindi तुरंत कर्म
- तुरंत कर्म (turant karma)circumstance
Indonesian kualat
- kualatcircumstance
Japanese 即因果応報, 即バチ
- 即因果応報 (soku inga ōhō)circumstance
- 即バチ (soku bachi)circumstance
Polish instant karma
- instant karmacircumstance
Cite this entry
APA
instant karma. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/instant%20karma
MLA
“instant karma.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/instant%20karma. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “instant karma,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/instant%20karma.
Source: instant karma on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.