now
1
6.5
- adverb
- /naʊ/
- Literature
- The historians describe the events of the past as they now understand them.
Examples
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But I also read House of Morgan, Titan, and now I'm reading Washington.
Academic text (2011) -
Alright, we're now passing through the base of the brain.
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This led to a period that we now call the Dark Ages.
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So then he gets COVID and now the story changes, right?
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Whereas before this was not possible, now it's there.
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One kid, though, continued to steal and is now serving four years in prison.
Academic text (2011) -
I now know what she's doing.
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At home, they once spoke only Yiddish, though now, our mother assured us, they spoke English.
Fiction book (1990) -
And we screened her, treated her, and now she's just so much better.
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With the selection of these projects, the AIA now supports preservation and outreach initiatives on five continents.
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
1
7.4
Use present tense to tell past events as if they are happening now
Antonyms
Idioms
7
8.5
Ask anyone who objects to speak now or be silent forever
1
9.5
A friendly informal way to say goodbye when you will see or speak to someone soon
Compounds
Surface Forms
Etymology
Now is often used in stories to make past events feel present because its basic meaning is 'at this time'. Writers use now in the historical present to make a scene seem immediate, so the reader feels as if the action is happening right before them.