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Glite Dictionary
⏰ At this moment 👋 To get attention 🕒 The present moment 📖 Narrating past events
now

now

304 1.0
The present moment when something is happening
  • noun
  • /naʊ/
: presente
  • Thus, a typical waking day may contain as many as 20,000 nows, most of which are entirely forgotten.

Examples

  • At least we know now where to begin.

  • As you can see, we are now home.

  • Hey guys, so we are now in the car.

  • So it's pretty clever and now it works.

  • May God bless you and keep you now and in the days to come.

  • How quiet it is now that life has triumphed.

  • We'll keep looking, but for now, Mythic.

  • Things in this tunnel now can't be lost.

  • But life is not a succession of urgent nows.

    The Libertine (2004)

  • We need to address the issues that affect us now.

Synonyms

moment
vsnow
∞ 1.0

A very short time or a particular point in time

is specifically the time when something is happening rather than any short time
today
vsnow
555 1.0

The time we are living in now

is about the specific time when something occurs, not an extended period
present
vsnow
279 1.0

The time that is happening now

is a single point in time rather than a longer ongoing period
here and now
vsnow
68 3.5

The time and place you are in now

focuses only on time, not on place or location
this minute
vsnow
  • Informal
65 1.1

At this very moment without delay

is a general reference to the time of an event rather than urgent immediacy
present moment
vsnow
19 2.1

The time that is happening now

is the shorter single-word form for the same exact point in time

Antonyms

future
∞ 1.0

The time that comes after the present

past
∞ 1.0

The time before now when events happened

Idioms

until now
292 1.0

Up to the present time

now now
  • Informal
262 9.2

Gently show disapproval and tell someone to calm down

now and then
  • Informal
259 1.0

Happens sometimes but not very often

just now
142 1.0

A very short time ago

every now and then
133 2.0

Sometimes, not very often

now and again
  • Informal
56 2.3

Happens sometimes but not very often

up to now
33 1.6

Before now, until the present moment

now or never
  • Informal
27 3.9

Act immediately because there may not be another chance

any time now
14 1.6

Likely to happen at any moment

speak now or forever hold your peace
  • Formal
7 8.5

Ask anyone who objects to speak now or be silent forever

ta ta for now
  • UK
1 9.5

A friendly informal way to say goodbye when you will see or speak to someone soon

now you're cooking
  • Informal
1 9.3

Shows approval when someone makes good progress

Compounds

here and now
68 3.5

The time and place you are in now

now-nowism
  • Neologism
1 9.9

A habit of making quick decisions and ignoring future problems

How Immediate

now
304 1.0
today
∞ 1.0
recently
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

now singular
nows plural

Etymology

Now has long meant the 'present moment' and comes from an old German word similar to German nun and Dutch nu that meant 'at this time'. So when we talk about 'the now' we point to what is happening in this very moment.