immediately
gb/ɪmˈidiɪtli/ us/ɪmˈidiɪtli/
A2
English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
adverb
A2
relation
1
Without any delay
Right away; without waiting.
Usage pattern:
to do [something] immediately
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'immediately' with 'soon', but 'immediately' means no delay, while 'soon' means after a short time.
Synonyms
instantly (Often interchangeable, but 'instantly' can emphasize speed more strongly.)
|
promptly (Slightly more formal, often used in business or official contexts.)
Antonyms
later (Indicates doing something after a delay instead of right away.)
|
eventually (Implies that something will happen after some time, not immediately.)
Collocations
respond immediately
|leave immediately
|call immediately
|take action immediately
Themes
daily life
|time
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She answered the phone immediately.
- The police arrived immediately after the call.
- Please reply to my email immediately.
- He left the room immediately when he heard the news.
Learner examples
- I will call you immediately.
- Please come here immediately.
- He left immediately after lunch.
- She answered immediately.
adverb
B1
relation
2
Very close in space or relation
Right next to or directly connected to something.
Usage pattern:
[something] is immediately [next to/after/before] [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes replace 'immediately' with 'near', but 'immediately' means directly next to without anything in between.
Synonyms
directly (Often interchangeable when referring to closeness in space or sequence.)
Antonyms
distantly (Indicates being far away in space or connection.)
Collocations
immediately next to
|immediately behind
|immediately before
Themes
space
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The hotel is immediately next to the beach.
- Her office is immediately above mine.
- The event happened immediately before the ceremony.
Learner examples
- My house is immediately next to the park.
- The shop is immediately behind the bus stop.
- He sat immediately beside her.
Grammar
Dictionary form
immediately
IPA
GB/ɪmˈidiɪtli/
US/ɪmˈidiɪtli/
Syllables & stress
im - me - di - ately (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (me)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: immediately
- Plural: immediatelies
Word family
Expressions
immediately after
1/ɪmˈidiɪtli ˈæftɚ/
fixed phrase
Directly following something
Happening right after another event with no delay.
Examples
- We went for dinner immediately after the movie.
- She called me immediately after she arrived.
immediately before
1/ɪmˈidiɪtli bɪfˈɔɹ/
fixed phrase
Directly preceding something
Happening right before another event with no delay.
Examples
- He left immediately before the meeting started.
- I saw her immediately before she got on the train.