now
1 adv You use now to refer to the present time, often in contrast to a time in the past or the future.
ADV with cl, oft prep ADV
She's a widow now..., But we are now a much more fragmented society..., Beef now costs well over 30 roubles a pound..., She should know that by now.
Now is also a pronoun., pron
Now is the time when we must all live as economically as possible.
2 adv If you do something now, you do it immediately.
ADV after v
I'm sorry, but I must go now..., I fear that if I don't write now I shall never have another opportunity to do so.
Now is also a pronoun., pron
Now is your chance to talk to him.
3 conj You use now or now that to indicate that an event has occurred and as a result something else may or will happen.
Now you're settled, why don't you take up some serious study?..., Now that she was retired she lived with her sister.
4 adv You use now to indicate that a particular situation is the result of something that has recently happened.
ADV with cl, ADV before v
She told me not to repeat it, but now I don't suppose it matters..., Diplomats now expect the mission to be much less ambitious.
5 adv In stories and accounts of past events, now is used to refer to the particular time that is being written or spoken about.
ADV with cl, oft prep ADV
She felt a little better now..., It was too late now for Blake to lock his room door..., By now it was completely dark outside.
6 adv You use now in statements which specify the length of time up to the present that something has lasted.
ADV with v, n ADV
They've been married now for 30 years..., They have been missing for a long time now..., It's some days now since I heard anything.
7 adv You say `Now' or `Now then' to indicate to the person or people you are with that you want their attention, or that you are about to change the subject.
SPOKEN ADV cl
`Now then,' Max said, `to get back to the point.'..., Now, can we move on and discuss the vital business of the day, please.
8 adv You use now to give a slight emphasis to a request or command.
SPOKEN ADV with cl
Come on now. You know you must be hungry..., Come and sit down here, now..., Now don't talk so loud and bother him, honey.
9 adv You can say `Now' to introduce information which is relevant to the part of a story or account that you have reached, and which needs to be known before you can continue.
SPOKEN ADV cl
My son went to Almeria in Southern Spain. Now he and his wife are people who love a quiet holiday..., Now, I hadn't told him these details, so he must have done some research on his own.
10 adv You say `Now' to introduce something which contrasts with what you have just said.
SPOKEN ADV cl
Now, if it was me, I'd want to do more than just change the locks...
11 If you say that something happens now and then or every now and again, you mean that it happens sometimes but not very often or regularly.
now and then/now and again/every now and then/every now and again phrase PHR with cl
My father has a collection of magazines to which I return every now and then..., Now and again he'd join in when we were playing video games.
12 If you say that something will happen any day now, any moment now, or any time now, you mean that it will happen very soon.
any day/moment/time now phrase PHR with cl
Jim expects to be sent to Europe any day now..., Any moment now the silence will be broken.
13 People such as television presenters sometimes use now for when they are going to start talking about a different subject or presenting a new activity.
SPOKEN
now for phrase PHR n
And now for something completely different..., Now for a quick look at some of the other stories in the news.
14 Just now means a very short time ago.
SPOKEN
just now phrase PHR with cl
You looked pretty upset just now..., I spoke just now of being in love...
15 You use just now when you want to say that a particular situation exists at the time when you are speaking, although it may change in the future.
SPOKEN
just now phrase cl PHR
I'm pretty busy just now..., Mr Goldsworth is not available just now.
16 If you say `It's now or never', you mean that something must be done immediately, because if it is not done immediately there will not be another chance to do it.
SPOKEN
it's now or never phrase V inflects
It's now or never, so make up your mind...
17 You can say `now, now' as a friendly way of trying to comfort someone who is upset or distressed.
SPOKEN
now, now convention
(=there there)
`I figure it's all over.'—`Now, now. You did just fine.'
18 You can say `Now, then' or `Now, now' when you want to give someone you know well a friendly warning not to behave in a particular way.
SPOKEN
now, now convention
Now then, no unpleasantness, please..., Now, now Roger, I'm sure you didn't mean it but that remark was in very poor taste.
