immediate
Definitions
Happening or done at once, without any delay.
立即的，即刻的。
Nearest in relationship, space, or time; direct, with nothing in between.
最接近的，直接的（如直系亲属、直接原因）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedim- (not) + medi (middle) + -ate = 'with nothing in the middle.' Take away every middle-man, gap, or intervening step and you get directness. In space/relationship that means 'closest, with nothing between' — immediate family, immediate cause. In time it means 'with no gap before it' — i.e. instant. Both senses are the same picture: no middle.
Root medi still carries 48 more wordsWhy It Means This
The 'instant' meaning surprises learners who know medi- means 'middle.' The link is logical: anything truly direct has no middle step, and no middle step in time means it happens right now. So 'immediate' faces two ways at once — 'with no intermediary' (immediate family) and 'with no delay' (immediate response) — and they are the same idea seen in space and in time.
Common Collocations
- 1.immediate effect立即生效
- 2.immediate family直系亲属
- 3.immediate attention立即关注
- 4.in the immediate future在不久的将来
- 5.immediate cause直接原因
Example Sentences
- 1.
The medicine brought immediate relief from the pain.
- 2.
Only immediate family were allowed to visit the patient.
- 3.
We need to take immediate action before it gets worse.