13 PHRASE People such as television presenters sometimes use now for when they are going to start talking about a different subject or presenting a new activity. [SPOKEN ] □ And now for something completely different. □ Now for a quick look at some of the other stories in the news.
14 PHRASE Just now means a very short time ago. [SPOKEN ] □ You looked pretty upset just now. □ I spoke just now of being in love.
15 PHRASE You use just now when you want to say that a particular situation exists at the time when you are speaking, although it may change in the future. [SPOKEN ] □ I'm pretty busy just now. □ Mr Goldsworth is not available just now.
16 PHRASE If you say ' It's now or never ', you mean that something must be done immediately, because if it is not done immediately there will not be another chance to do it. [SPOKEN ] □ It's now or never, so make up your mind.
17 CONVENTION You can say ' now, now ' as a friendly way of trying to comfort someone who is upset or distressed. [SPOKEN ] □ 'I figure it's all over.'—'Now, now. You did just fine.'
18 CONVENTION You can say ' Now, then ' or ' Now, now ' when you want to give someone you know well a friendly warning not to behave in a particular way. [SPOKEN ] □ Now then, no unpleasantness, please. □ Now, now Roger, I'm sure you didn't mean it but that remark was in very poor taste. SYNONYMS now ADV 1
nowadays: I don't see much of Tony nowadays.
currently: He currently has no strong rivals for power.
at the moment: At the moment, no one is talking to me.
these days: She is doing just fine these days.
nowa|days /naʊ əde I z/ ADV Nowadays means at the present time, in contrast with the past. □ Nowadays it's acceptable for women to be ambitious. But it wasn't then. □ I don't see much of Tony nowadays.
no|where ◆◇◇ /noʊ h weə r /
1 ADV [ADV with be , ADV after v] You use nowhere to emphasize that a place has more of a particular quality than any other places, or that it is the only place where something happens or exists. [EMPHASIS ] □ Nowhere is language a more serious issue than in Hawaii. □ This kind of forest exists nowhere else in the world. □ If you are extremely rich, you could stay nowhere better than the Ruislip Court Hotel.
2 ADV [be ADV , ADV after v, usu ADV to-inf] You use nowhere when making negative statements to say that a suitable place of the specified kind does not exist. □ There was nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. □ I have nowhere else to go, nowhere in the world. □ He had nowhere to call home.
3 ADV [be ADV , oft ADV to-inf, ADV adv/prep] You use nowhere to indicate that something or someone cannot be seen or found. □ Michael glanced anxiously down the corridor, but Wilfred was nowhere to be seen. □ The escaped prisoner was nowhere in sight.
4 ADV [ADV after v] You can use nowhere to refer in a general way to small, unimportant, or uninteresting places. □ …endless paths that led nowhere in particular. □ …country roads that go from nowhere to nowhere.
5 ADV If you say that something or someone appears from nowhere or out of nowhere , you mean that they appear suddenly and unexpectedly. □ A car came from nowhere, and I had to jump back into the hedge just in time. □ Houses had sprung up out of nowhere on the hills.
6 ADV [ADV before v, be ADV ] You use nowhere to mean not in any part of a text, speech, or argument. [EMPHASIS ] □ He nowhere offers concrete historical background to support his arguments. □ Point taken, but nowhere did we suggest that this yacht's features were unique. □ The most important issue for most ordinary people was nowhere on the proposed agenda.
7 PHRASE If you say that a place is in the middle of nowhere , you mean that it is a long way from other places. □ At dusk we pitched camp in the middle of nowhere.
8 PHRASE If you say that you are getting nowhere , or getting nowhere fast , or that something is getting you nowhere , you mean that you are not achieving anything or having any success. □ My mind won't stop going round and round on the same subject and I seem to be getting nowhere. □ 'Getting nowhere fast,' pronounced Crosby, 'that's what we're doing.' □ Oh, stop it! This is getting us nowhere.
9 PHRASE If you use nowhere near in front of a word or expression, you are emphasizing that the real situation is very different from, or has not yet reached, the state which that word or expression suggests. [EMPHASIS ] □ He's nowhere near recovered yet from his experiences. □ The chair he sat in was nowhere near as comfortable as the custom-designed one behind his desk. USAGE nowhere
You don’t usually use another negative word with ‘nowhere’. Don’t say, for example, ‘
no -wi n ADJ [ADJ n] If you are in a no-win situation, any action you take will fail to benefit you in any way. □ It was a no-win situation. Either she pretended she hated Ned and felt awful or admitted she loved him and felt even worse!
nowt /naʊ t/ PRON Nowt is sometimes used to mean the same as 'nothing'. [BRIT , DIALECT ] □ I'd got nowt to worry about.
nox|ious /nɒ kʃəs/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A noxious gas or substance is poisonous or very harmful. □ Many household products give off noxious fumes.