immediate
immediate — adjective
1. taking place or carried out right away, with no time lost between the event and
taking place or carried out right away, with no time lost between the event and the action.
Tariq's immediate reaction was to pull his little brother away from the hot stove.
immediate reaction describes instant, unthinking action
The shelter manager called for an immediate donation of blankets after the earthquake.
immediate + noun (donation / response / decision) in urgent contexts
Mei asked for an immediate refund when the laptop stopped working on the first day.
Emre's boss asked for an immediate report on the monthly sales figures.
文法句型
immediate + noun (response / reaction / action / decision)
用法筆記
Often found in formal announcements, warnings, and instructions. Commonly paired with nouns like 'response', 'action', 'decision', or 'effect'.
常見錯誤
2. directly connected to a situation or person as its cause, result, or main concer
directly connected to a situation or person as its cause, result, or main concern, with nothing else in the middle.
The immediate cause of the power cut was a fallen tree on the main cable.
immediate cause — the nearest direct reason for something
Dahlia's immediate concern was whether her elderly father had food for the week.
immediate concern — the most urgent worry without intervening factors
Élise studied the immediate impact of the new bus route on local shops.
Andrés knew the immediate effect of lying would be losing his parents' trust.
文法句型
immediate + noun (cause / effect / impact / concern)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 — this sense emphasises a direct causal or relational link (proximity in cause/effect), not speed. The subject is typically an event, policy, or situation, not a person's action.
常見錯誤
3. relating to what needs attention right now or in the very next step, rather than
relating to what needs attention right now or in the very next step, rather than in the distant future.
Ryo's immediate plan after graduation was to find a job that paid the rent.
immediate plan — the first step, not the long-term goal
Yael put aside thoughts of a dream home and focused on the immediate need for a safe place to sleep.
immediate need — what must be dealt with right now
The charity's immediate problem was getting clean water to the village before dark.
Adaeze's immediate task was to sort the donated clothes into boxes before noon.
文法句型
immediate + noun (need / concern / plan / problem)
用法筆記
Commonly modifies nouns like 'need', 'concern', 'plan', 'problem', and 'priority'. Often contrasts with 'long-term' or 'future' goals in the same sentence.
4. occurring right before or right after a particular person, object, or event in a
occurring right before or right after a particular person, object, or event in an ordered sequence.
Sivan's immediate predecessor as team leader had left very detailed instructions.
immediate predecessor — the person directly before in a sequence
The grocery store in the immediate vicinity of the station stays open until midnight.
immediate vicinity — the area directly surrounding a place
Padma's office was on the floor immediately above her boss, but her immediate superior worked two floors up.
Joon was surprised to learn that her immediate predecessor left the role after only three months.
- distant
far away in sequence, space, or rank
- previous-but-not-direct
not a single word but captures the idea of a non-consecutive predecessor
文法句型
immediate + noun (predecessor / successor / vicinity)
用法筆記
Typically used before nouns that mark a position in a sequence: predecessor, successor, superior, vicinity. 'Immediate superior' means the person directly above you in a hierarchy, even if their office is not physically close.
常見錯誤
5. linked by the closest family bond, such as between parents, children, siblings,
linked by the closest family bond, such as between parents, children, siblings, or a spouse.
Michael's immediate family flew in from three different cities for his wedding.
immediate family — parents, siblings, spouse, children
Only immediate relatives were allowed into the hospital room after the surgery.
immediate relatives — official/medical restriction context
The insurance form asked Théo to list his immediate family members by name and age.
Emily called her immediate family to share the good news before posting anything online.
- close (family)
less formal; can include relatives who are not strictly immediate but emotionally close
- extended (family)
relatives beyond the nuclear family, such as cousins and aunts
文法句型
immediate family / immediate relative
用法筆記
Almost always used before 'family' or 'relative(s)'. In legal and official contexts the exact definition can vary, but it generally excludes cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
常見錯誤
6. the stretch of time starting now and lasting for a short while ahead, typically
the stretch of time starting now and lasting for a short while ahead, typically weeks or months rather than years.
The company's immediate future depends on whether it can find a new investor this quarter.
the immediate future — the next weeks/months, not years
Dylan decided not to move abroad in the immediate future because his mother needed help at home.
The school has no plans to change its uniform policy in the immediate future.
Tunde's main goal in the immediate future is to save enough money for a down payment on a house.
- near (future)
more general; 'immediate' sounds closer than 'near'
- short-term
emphasises a limited duration rather than closeness from now
- distant (future)
far ahead in time
- long-term
relating to a period far from the present
文法句型
the immediate future
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in the phrase 'the immediate future' (often preceded by 'in'). Unlike sense 3, which focuses on urgent needs, this sense simply names the coming time period without implying urgency.