Now | Mean of now in English Dictionary

/ˈnaʊ/

• at the present time
1. We were having trouble before, but everything's okay now.
2. I'm feeling much better now, thank you.
3. I love you now and I'll love you forever.
4. Now's the time for action.
5. “And now,” he said, “all we have to do is wait.”
6. “Can we talk?” “Not now. I'm really busy.”
7. The room is now used as a home office. = They now use the room as a home office.
8. He knows now that he was wrong.
9. Police have now identified the man who they believe stole the car.
10. Scientists now believe that the bones belong to a different species of reptile.
11. the now famous photograph of an American sailor kissing his young wife
12. I wish I knew then what I know now.
13. This is the only chance you'll ever get. It's now or never.
14. Now you tell me?! I needed to know that yesterday!
15. You tracked dirt everywhere! Now I have to spend all day cleaning again!
16. “I know you've explained a lot—but can I ask just one more question?” “What now?” = “What is it now?” = “Now what?”
17. OK: I'll do it your way. Are you happy now?
• in the next moment
1. I have to leave now. [=right now, right away, immediately]
2. It's time to go home now.
3. If I don't do it now, I'll forget to do it later.
4. They'll be back any minute now!
5. Any day now, he'll be walking through that door.
6. Now which way do we go?
7. What do I do now?
8. What now? = Now what? [=what next?]
• in the present situation
1. He'll never believe me now!
2. If you can't stand the heat now, you certainly won't be able to stand it in the summer.

• at the time referred to in the past
1. Her parents arrived home the next day. Now the trouble really began.
2. I next met her again a few years later. She was now 30 years old and working for a law firm.
• for an amount of time until the present time
1. It's been several years now since I last saw her. [=I haven't seen her for several years]
2. We've lived here for a long time now. = We've lived here for some time now.
3. She has been teaching for 20 years now. = She has been teaching now for 20 years.
• at one moment
1. now one and now another
2. She was now laughing, now crying.
• not often but sometimes
1. We still see each other (every) now and then.
2. Now and then she would come in to check on me.
3. The silence in the house was broken now and again by the ringing of the telephone.
• since something is true
1. Now you mention it, I am kind of hungry.
2. Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry.
3. Now that we're all here, let's start the meeting. = Let's start the meeting now that everyone's here.
• Noun
• the present time or moment
1. A lot of things can happen between now and then.
2. By now, you must have heard the news. = You must have heard the news by now.
3. The kids are supposed to be in bed by now.
4. That's enough for now, but we may need some more later.
5. Things are fine for now.
6. Fifty years from now you'll be telling your grandchildren about this day.
7. She's due back a week from now.
8. We'll be here from now until November.
9. I promise, from now on [=from this moment and forever into the future], I'll always tell you the truth.
10. From now on, no one can use my car without my permission.
11. Until now, doctors had no idea what caused the disease. = Up to now, they didn't know what caused it.