adv. 1
In a direct manner; in a straight line or course.
He drove directly to the office, and didn't stop off at the petrol station.
adv. 2
Straightforwardly; honestly.
He told me directly that he'd cheated on me, and how sorry he was for it.
adv. 3
In a straightforward way; without anything intervening; not by secondary but by direct means.
I'm sick of asking you to fire him; I'll just do it directly.
adv. 4
Plainly, without circumlocution or ambiguity; absolutely; in express terms.
I'm going to tell Natalie directly that I love her.

Choose the right word

Directly or Presently?

Directly, which once meant with no intervening time, now means after some little while; presently no longer means in this very present, but before very long.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

immediately This medicine will cure your headache immediately.
instantly When I saw his face, I was instantly on red alert.
truthfully Do you intend to answer all my questions truthfully?
straight After the meeting she headed straight to her desk.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
directly		steady
immediately		steady
instantly		rising
truthfully		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: now¹, due¹
4 letters: full¹, soon¹, dead¹, flat¹, anon²
5 letters: right¹
6 letters: direct², openly³
7 letters: exactly³, quickly², clearly², shortly², frankly², bluntly²
8 letters: straight¹, promptly², speedily³
9 letters: instantly³, precisely³, presently³, expressly³, forthwith²
10 letters: absolutely⁴, accurately⁴, truthfully³
11 letters: immediately⁵
12 letters: straightwise
13 letters: unambiguously⁶, incontinently, undeviatingly
15 letters: instantaneously⁶

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (anon² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: directement
Italiano: direttamente
Español: directamente
Deutsch: geradewegs
Català: directament