right away
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.46 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
Very soon; quickly; immediately.
adv
The traditional call to the driver of a train or other conveyance intimating that it is safe to move off immediately.
Dated
adv
Eggcorn of right of way.
Example Sentences
- "This item is urgent, so please start on it right away."
- "The locomotive was the now inevitable American 2-8-0, No. 2623. There she stood, effectively blocking the level crossing, simmering gently, massively inert. It was almost dark, and one's final sight was of her high, firelit cab, the enginemen nonchalantly leaning out, waiting for the right-away, while impatient road convoys piled up on both sides of the crossing."
- "As we stood waiting for the departure time with the setting sun twinkling on the great brass dome of our 2-4-0, the sound of church bells was the only one apart from the measured tread of the guard slowly pacing towards his van, and, standing at an open window, I more than once heard the fireman's "Right away!" to his mate in acknowledgement of a desultory wave of the unfurled green flag."