immediately

(im me di ate ly)

When something is needed "immediately," it’s needed right now. This is a very common adverb that indicates a situation is important and needs quick attention:

• They needed to get their mother to the hospital immediately because she was having chest pains.
• You have to move these boxes immediately.
• Pedro took his car to a mechanic immediately after noticing the engine light was on.
• She must stop doing that immediately.
• We need to leave immediately!

To make the adjective form for this word, drop the "ly" ending:

• This needs your immediate attention.
• They took immediate action to fix the problem.
• Their need for housing is immediate. (Notice that the word "need" in this sentence is a noun.)

This work needs immediate attention.

He has to get this work finished immediately!

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This page was first published on January 23, 2012. It was updated on December 9, 2016.