すぐさま

す

ぐ

さ

ま

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

adverb

immediately; right away; promptly

usually written using kana alone

Emphasizes doing something without delay, often in response to a situation. Slightly more emphatic than すぐ.

彼かれは呼よばれるとすぐさま立たち上あがった。
He stood up immediately when called.

問もん題だいが起おきたらすぐさま報ほう告こくしてください。

Please report it right away if a problem occurs.

Written forms

すぐさまUsage99%
Kana spelling is standard; usually written in kana.
直すぐさまUsage1%
Kanji spelling is rare and mostly seen in older or formal writing; kana is preferred.
直すぐ様さま
Alternate kanji spelling; very rare.
すぐ様さま
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; rare.

Kanji

直straightaway, honesty, frankness
様Esq., way, manner

Similar words

すぐ
すぐ is the basic word for 'soon' or 'immediately'; すぐさま is more emphatic and often implies an immediate, prompt reaction.
直ただちに
直ちに is more formal and often used in official or written contexts, while すぐさま is neutral and common in speech.

Etymology

Compound of すぐ (immediately) + さま (suffix indicating state or direction). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it functions as an emphatic adverbial form.