presently

presently — adverb

1. at this moment in time; used to describe a situation that exists or an action ha

1.副詞C1
釋義

at this moment in time; used to describe a situation that exists or an action happening right now.

例句

Presently, Esteban serves as a consultant for renewable energy projects.

sentence-initial adverb for current role

There are presently no job openings at the factory, but that may change.

presently with 'there are' for current absence

同義詞
  • currently

    equally common in formal contexts; less likely to cause confusion with the 'soon' meaning

  • now

    more common in everyday speech; neutral register

  • at present

    more formal; often used in official or written English

反義詞

文法句型

presently + verb phrase

presently at start of sentence

presently after subject

用法筆記

More formal than 'now'. Common in formal writing, official announcements, and news reports. Frequently placed at the beginning of a sentence or directly before the main verb.

常見錯誤

❌I am presently coming' (when you mean soon).
✅I am coming soon.
💡'presently' meaning 'now' contradicts a future action; use 'soon' or 'shortly' instead.

2. within a brief span of time from now; used to describe an event that is about to

2.副詞B2
釋義

within a brief span of time from now; used to describe an event that is about to take place or that followed shortly after a previous one.

例句

The repair team will arrive presently to fix the broken water pipe.

will + presently for near-future event

Presently, the doors opened and passengers began to leave the train.

past narrative: presently for sequence of events

同義詞
  • soon

    more common in everyday speech; neutral register

  • shortly

    similar formality; common in announcements

  • before long

    slightly more literary; often used in narratives

反義詞
  • later

    suggests a longer or indefinite wait

  • never

    opposite of happening in the future

文法句型

will + presently

presently + past simple (narrative)

用法筆記

When used in past-tense narratives (e.g., 'Presently, they arrived...'), it describes what happened next in the sequence. In everyday speech, 'soon' or 'in a moment' is more common than this sense of 'presently'.

常見錯誤

❌Presently, I realize my mistake' (meaning 'now' but using a past-tense narrative).
✅Presently, I realized my mistake.
💡in past-tense narrative, 'presently' means 'after a short time', not 'now'.
❌She will arrive presently now.
✅She will arrive presently.
💡'presently' already implies a short time ahead; adding 'now' creates a contradiction.