asap

Synonym discussion

Sense: abbreviation/1

Asap, immediately, right away, and urgently all point to speed, but they do different jobs. Asap is a short written label, often seen in emails, text messages, office notes, and online chats when someone wants an action done very soon. Immediately is stronger and often means that the action should happen at once, with almost no gap. Right away is everyday spoken English and sounds more conversational than the abbreviation. Urgently describes the seriousness of the need, so it often explains why fast action matters rather than replacing the request itself. In practice, learners often write send it asap, but in speech they may prefer do it right away or come immediately.

Common collocations

Etymology

'Asap' comes from the first letters of a longer English phrase that asks for quick action. It spread through business writing, office notes, and later email and texting because the short form is fast to type and easy to recognize. Today it is widely used when someone wants a reply, repair, payment, or other task handled very soon.