Meaning & use
immediate gratification
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Meanings
noununcountable
The desire or act of getting what you want right away, without waiting or planning for later.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun: 'the desire for immediate gratification.' It does not take a/an or a plural.
Patterns
- the desire for immediate gratification
- seek immediate gratification
- give in to immediate gratification
Young children often act on immediate gratification, grabbing the toy instead of waiting for their turn.
The app is designed to provide immediate gratification, giving users a reward with every tap.
Saving money requires resisting immediate gratification and thinking about the future.
noununcountable
The short-term pleasure or reward that comes from satisfying a want without delay.
Grammar: Refers to the feeling or result itself, not the urge: 'the immediate gratification of a snack.'
Patterns
- the immediate gratification of something
- get immediate gratification from something
- find immediate gratification in something
He gets immediate gratification from posting photos and seeing the likes appear.
There is immediate gratification in buying a new gadget, but the excitement fades quickly.
The immediate gratification of a sweet treat can make it hard to stick to a diet.
Common combinations
- immediate gratification
- The marketing campaign promises immediate gratification.
- seek immediate gratification
- Teenagers often seek immediate gratification rather than long-term goals.
- delay immediate gratification
- Learning to delay immediate gratification is a key life skill.
- the need for immediate gratification
- Online shopping feeds the need for immediate gratification.
Synonyms and how they differ
- instant gratification
- Very similar, but 'instant' emphasizes speed even more; 'immediate' is slightly more formal and common in academic writing.
Opposites
Word family
- gratify verb
- To please or satisfy someone.
- gratifying adjective
- Pleasing and satisfying.
Commonly confused: immediate gratification or instant gratification?
immediate gratification vs instant gratification
These are often used interchangeably, but 'instant' is more common in everyday speech, while 'immediate' appears more in psychology and formal writing.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'immediate gratification' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option A uses the uncountable phrase correctly as the reason for an action. B is wrong because 'gratification' is uncountable and does not take 'an.' C is wrong because it is not used in the plural. D is wrong because the phrase is a noun, not a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “immediate gratification”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.