at first

Meaning

1. 1adverbnot comparable

   In the early part of a situation, before things changed or you learned more.

   Grammar: Often at the start of a clause, and usually followed by a contrast with but or then.

   Patterns

   • at first, … but …

   At first I did not like the city, but now I love it.

   At first she thought the noise was thunder.

   The recipe seemed hard at first, but it was simple.

Common combinations

at first glance

At first glance the two designs look identical.

at first sight

It was love at first sight.

at first, but later

At first it seemed odd, but later it made sense.

seem difficult at first

Chess seems difficult at first.

not at first

The idea was not clear at first.

Synonyms and how they differ

initially

Initially is more formal and often used in reports or explanations.

in the beginning

In the beginning sounds broader, often about a whole story or era.

to begin with

To begin with introduces a first point and often lists reasons, not a change over time.

originally

Originally refers to the very first form of something, not just an early stage.

Opposites

Word family

first adjective

coming before all others

firstly adverb

used to list the first point

first-hand adjective

direct

first adverb

before anything else

Commonly confused: at first or at the first? at first or first of all?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “at first”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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