directly and immediately share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. directly means “without deviation”. immediately means “without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening”. immediately is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɚˈɛktli/
1.adv.without deviation
“the path leads directly to the lake”
2.adv.without anyone or anything intervening
“these two factors are directly related”
3.adv.without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
“he answered immediately”
/ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli/
1.adv.without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
“he answered immediately”
2.adv.near or close by
“he passed immediately behind her”
3.adv.bearing an immediate relation
“this immediately concerns your future”
| directly | immediately | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɚˈɛktli/ | /ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli/ |
| Said | dur-EKT-lee | im-EE-dee-uht-lee |
| Syllables | 3 | 5 |
| Letters | 8 | 11 |
| Parts of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Senses | 4 | 3 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | straight, direct | instantly, straightaway, straight off |
Full entry for directly · Full entry for immediately · More comparisons