adverb
General Slang
directly
duh-REKT-lee · adverb · informal
Soon; in a little while.
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Definitions
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In Southern usage, "directly" means "shortly" or "after a bit"—not immediately.
“I'll be along directly, soon as I finish here.”
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directly In A Sentence
I'll be along directly, soon as I finish here.
Origin & Usage
Older English sense of "directly" as "presently/soon" retained in Southern and Appalachian dialect.
Variants
dreckly
People Also Ask
What does directly mean in Southern speech?
It means "soon" or "after a little while," not "immediately" or "right now."
Why does directly mean soon in the South?
It preserves an older English sense of "directly" as "presently," retained in Southern and Appalachian dialect.
How do you use directly this way?
As in "I'll get to it directly," meaning you'll do it before long rather than at once.
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