immediate

1 done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time felt immediate relief after taking the painkiller Synonyms instantaneous, instant, split-second, straightawayRelated Words summary; fast, hit-and-run, prompt, quick, rapid, speedy, swiftNear Antonyms dilatory, tardy; slow, sluggish; prolonged, protracted; deferred, delayed

2 done or working without something else coming in between she is my immediate superior, so I report to her Synonyms firsthand, direct, primary, unmediatedRelated Words clinical, empirical (also empiric); efficient, proximate; hands-onAntonyms indirect, secondhand

3 done, carried out, or given without delay immediate treatment saved the victim of the massive heart attack Synonyms prompt, punctual, speedy, timelyRelated Words apt, quick, ready, swift, willing; opportune, seasonable; earlyNear Antonyms delinquent, latish, overdue; behind, behindhand, delayed, detained; dilatory, laggard, slowAntonyms belated, late, tardy

4 not being distant in time, space, or significance for the victims of the terrorist attack, the incident is as immediate as yesterday's news Synonyms close-up, close, near, nearby, neighboring, next-door, nigh, proximateRelated Words abutting, adjacent, adjoining, bordering, contiguous; approaching, coming, forthcoming, oncoming, upcoming; accessible, convenient, handy; close-in, hand-to-handNear Antonyms divorced, removed, separatedAntonyms away, deep, distant, far, faraway, far-off, remote

5 existing or in progress right now we need to solve the immediate problems before working on the more long-term ones Synonyms current, extant, present, instant, ongoing, present-dayRelated Words contemporary, mod, modern, modernistic, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, recent, red-hot, space-age, supermodern, ultramodern, up-to-date; being, breathing, existent, existing, livingNear Antonyms coming, future, unborn; completed, concluded, done, ended, finished, over, terminated, through, up; ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, archaic, dated, fusty, musty, noncontemporary, obsolete, old, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, outworn, passé; ago, bygone, erstwhile, former, past