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Meaning of immediately in English:

immediately

Pronunciation /ɪˈmiːdɪətli/

See synonyms for immediately

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adverb

  • 1At once; instantly.

    ‘I rang immediately for an ambulance’
    • ‘I scraped once and immediately a frog sounded once from beneath the porch.’
    • ‘On his return, he joined Shackleton and immediately set sail once more for the Antarctic.’
    • ‘Once inside, I immediately fall in with four London guys who are also staying in our hotel.’
    • ‘Once elected, MPs immediately fall out of the control of those who elect them.’
    • ‘Once cooked rinse it immediately in cold water, then let it soak in fresh cold water while you get on with the sauce.’
    • ‘It seems clear to me, however, that one may know things for an instant and immediately forget.’
    • ‘There is no time to take a position and you end up facing your own goal, which immediately sets alarm bells ringing.’
    • ‘I of course told him that he was drunk and should immediately ring and book me a flight.’
    • ‘He immediately rang the police on his mobile telephone and explained what had happened.’
    • ‘Even if they ring off immediately they'll stay connected for a minimum of five minutes.’
    • ‘Pool staff tried to revive him and an ambulance was called immediately.’
    • ‘She said the prisoner was attended to immediately and an ambulance was called.’
    • ‘When an older gentleman next got on people jumped up immediately without being prompted.’
    • ‘I had an opportunity to chat with him once or twice, and was immediately impressed by his fund of knowledge.’
    • ‘Once it is produced and transported it must immediately be delivered to buyers or users.’
    • ‘Serve immediately straight out of the saucepan into deep soup bowls with the olives and eggs to the side.’
    • ‘The quick acting anaesthetic took hold immediately, too fast for me even to speak.’
    • ‘He immediately attempted to contact a nurse by ringing the hospital bell near his bedside.’
    • ‘Almost immediately two of the jurors began to cry and were left obviously distressed by what they were asked to study.’
    • ‘The boat passed out of the harbour and immediately things began to get better.’
    straight away, at once, right away, right now, instantly, now, directly, promptly, forthwith, that minute, this minute, that very minute, this very minute, that instant, this instant, there and then, here and now, in a flash, without delay, without hesitation, without further ado, post-haste
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  • 2Without any intervening time or space.

    ‘she was sitting immediately behind me’
    • ‘Anyway, the place to see and be seen at the Masters is under the big oak tree that sits immediately behind the clubhouse.’
    • ‘It was hit when the car immediately behind shunted into his vehicle after it was banged from behind by a third motorist.’
    • ‘He was unaware that he was upside down and thought he was in the corridor immediately behind the coal train's cab.’
    • ‘Duval stood immediately behind the green, applauding as Palmer came into view.’
    • ‘Sitting in the penalty box at Philadelphia, he was heckled by fans immediately behind him.’
    • ‘He bounced off the first vehicle and then struck a second immediately behind it.’
    • ‘There was a gateway on the western side and a timber building immediately behind the enclosure boundary.’
    • ‘Juno Beach was six miles wide and the Germans had fortified the area immediately behind the beach.’
    • ‘The aim is to allow the hazard rate to be altered during a time interval immediately after each long flight.’
    • ‘It meant he could not make a move on those immediately ahead and was a sitting target for those chasing from behind.’
    • ‘There is an island just below the weir and the best pegs are the two behind this island and the two immediately below it.’
    • ‘The ban on taking scallops from the area immediately west of Westray has been lifted.’
    • ‘There was irony in the fact that the only player from the area immediately south of the Zambesi had played for England.’
    • ‘Some of these axes were even deposited in a marshy basin immediately north of the henge complex.’
    • ‘It still exists but has been relocated and now runs immediately south of Union Station.’
    • ‘He tended to have a few pints very quickly immediately after the close of play and be in bed by 10 o'clock.’
    • ‘That left just four directors to go immediately from the annual meeting to an emergency board meeting.’
    • ‘Colour can certainly affect soil temperature, and that of the air immediately above it.’
    1. 2.1In direct or very close relation.
      ‘they would be the states most immediately affected by any such action’
      • ‘They are released in the area immediately affected by the subject's behaviour.’
      directly, right, exactly, precisely, squarely, just, dead
      View synonyms

conjunction

British

  • As soon as.

    • ‘let me know immediately she arrives’