INDEX:
1. immediately
2. immediately after something else happens
3. when you do something immediately
4. happening or needing to be done immediately
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ LATER
↑ DELAY
see also
↑ NOW
↑ FAST
↑ SOON
↑ HURRY
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1. immediately
▷ immediately /ɪˈmiːdiətli/ [adverb]
quickly and without any delay :
▪ If your baby has a fever you should call the doctor immediately.
▪ When mother saw my face, she knew immediately that something was wrong.
▪ Knowing the case was urgent, I replied to her lawyer’s email immediately.
▷ at once/right away also straight away British /ət ˈwʌns, ˌraɪt əˈweɪ, ˌstreɪt əˈweɪ/ [adverb]
if you do something at once, right away, or straightaway, you do it immediately, especially because it is urgent :
▪ The principal wants to see you at once.
▪ We’re in love and we want to get married right away.
▪ You said it was important so I came straight away.
▷ this minute/right now /ˌðɪs ˈmɪnə̇t, ˌraɪt ˈnaʊ/ [adverb] spoken
if someone in authority orders you to do something this minute or right now, they want you to do it immediately, and they are usually annoyed with you :
▪ Katie, put that down this minute, or you’ll go straight to bed.
▪ Tell Mick that I want to see him in my office, right now.
▷ without delay /wɪðˌaʊt dɪˈleɪ/ [adverb] formal
if you do something without delay, you do it immediately and without wasting any time, especially because it is important to do it as soon as possible :
▪ If you lose your passport, you should contact the embassy without delay.
▪ The crew and passengers were keen to get airborne without further delay.
2. immediately after something else happens
▷ immediately /ɪˈmiːdiətli/ [adverb/conjunction]
▪ We met at a friend’s party, and immediately became friends.
▪ There was a loud explosion in the engine-room, and almost immediately a fire broke out.
▪ I’ll call you immediately we hear any news about the baby.
immediately after/afterwards
▪ We’ll have to leave immediately after the meeting.
▪ Mrs Smith was admitted to hospital at 10 o'clock, but died immediately afterwards.
▷ as soon as/the moment (that) /əz ˈsuːn əz, ðə ˈməʊmənt (ðət)/ [conjunction]
immediately after something has happened or immediately after you have done something :
▪ As soon as Stephen felt well again, he returned to work.
▪ I will pay you back, I promise, the moment I get paid.
▪ Honey, I swear, I’ll phone you the moment I get to New York.
▷ no sooner...than /nəʊ ˈsuːnəʳ... ð ə n/ [conjunction]
immediately after something has happened or someone has done something - use this especially in stories or in descriptions of events :
no sooner had...than
▪ No sooner had they sat down to eat than the phone rang.
▪ No sooner had he arrived in the city than his wallet was stolen.
no sooner was/were...than
▪ No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she regretted them.
▷ had hardly/barely also hardly had /həd ˈhɑːʳdli, ˈbeəʳli, ˈhɑːʳdli hæd/ [conjunction]
immediately after an event or action has finished - use this especially in stories or in descriptions of events :
▪ I’d done food shopping and had barely gotten to the door, when Debbie asked if I’d been listening to the radio.
▪ Hardly had the film reached our screens last July than it was plagued by troubles and controversy.
▷ lose no time /ˌluːz nəʊ ˈtaɪm/ [verb phrase]
to do something immediately, as soon as you have the chance to do it :
lose no time in doing something
▪ When the new manager was appointed, he lost no time in reorganizing the office.
▪ Murdock lost no time in setting out for London to find work.
▷ instantly /ˈɪnstəntli/ [adverb]
at almost the same time that something else happens, and happening as a direct result of it :
▪ Sea snakes inject a poison so strong that it kills a fish instantly.
▪ It was a head-on crash and both drivers died instantly.
▷ outright /aʊtˈraɪt/ [] written
if someone is killed outright, they die immediately from an attack or an accident :
▪ He was killed outright when his car crashed at high speed.
3. when you do something immediately
▷ at a glance /ət ə ˈglɑːnsǁ-ˈglæns/ [adverb]
if you know something at a glance, you only need to look quickly in order to know immediately what is happening, how someone feels etc :
can see/tell (something) at a glance
▪ I could see at a glance that the situation was serious.
▪ An expert can tell at a glance whether it’s a real diamond or a fake.
▷ on the spot /ɒn ðə ˈspɒtǁ-ˈspɑːt/ [adverb]
if you do something on the spot, you do it immediately, without taking time to think about the situation, without waiting for official permission etc :
▪ I was so angry I almost resigned on the spot.
▪ The police can fine motorists on the spot for driving offences.
▪ Look, I can’t give you a decision on the spot. I’ll have to talk to my boss first.
▷ there and then/then and there /ˌðeər ənd ˈðen, ˌðen ənd ˈðeəʳ/ [adverb]
if you do something or decide something there and then or then and there, you do it immediately and without stopping to think or delaying your decision until a later time :
▪ When Kate knew John was seeing someone else, she should have left him then and there.
▪ This time I’d gone too far, and I quit drinking there and then.
▷ off the top of your head /ɒf ðə ˌtɒp əv jɔːʳ ˈhedǁ-ˌtɑːp-/ [adverb phrase usually in questions or negative sentences] informal
if you answer a question or provide information off the top of your head, you do it immediately, using information you already know, and without thinking about it or trying to find out more about it :
▪ ‘How old is Chris?’ ‘I don’t know off the top of my head.’
▪ There are some good restaurants around here, but I can’t tell you their names off the top of my head.
▷ right off/right off the bat /ˌraɪt ˈɒf, ˌraɪt ɒf ðə ˈbæt/ [adverb] American informal
if you do or say something right off or right off the bat, you do it or say it immediately, without taking time to think about it :
▪ I couldn’t think of a reply right off.
▪ We let them know right off the bat that we weren’t going with them.
4. happening or needing to be done immediately
▷ immediate /ɪˈmiːdiət/ [adjective usually before noun]
▪ My immediate reaction was shock and horror.
▪ This letter requires your immediate attention.
▪ The immediate needs of the refugees are for warm clothing and clean drinking water.
▪ One immediate worry is money.
▷ instant /ˈɪnstənt/ [adjective usually before noun]
happening immediately, without any delay or doubt :
▪ The workers are being threatened with instant dismissal.
take an instant dislike to somebody
▪ He took an instant dislike to LeRoy.
▷ instantaneous /ˌɪnstənˈteɪniəs/ [adjective]
very nearly at the same time as something else happens, and often as a result of it :
▪ Death from a massive heart attack was almost instantaneous.
instantaneously [adverb]
▪ Lightning flashed, followed almost instantaneously by the sharp crack of thunder.