on the spot

See also: on-the-spot

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Prepositional phrase

on the spot

1. (idiomatic) At that very moment.

   Synonyms: right away, then and there

   He liked the house, so he made an offer on the spot.

2. (idiomatic) Having to answer or decide without warning or preparation.

   All the sudden questions put him on the spot and he had to think quickly.

3. (idiomatic) In a particular place.

   Synonyms: in place, on location, on site, on the premises, in the room

   This report comes from our man on the spot in Gaza.

   We exercised by jumping up and down on the spot.

   • 1928, Dorothy L. Sayers, "The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers", in Lord Peter Views the Body,

     I had accepted an engagement to go out with Mystofilms Ltd. in Fake of Dead Man's Bush—the dwarf-men picture, you know, taken on the spot among the Australian bushmen.

Translations

at the very moment

• Bashkir: шунда уҡ (şunda uq)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 當場／当场 (zh) (dāngchǎng), 当场 (zh) (dāngchǎng)

• Finnish: siinä paikassa, saman tien
• French: sur-le-champ (fr)
• Georgian: ეგრევე (egreve), მაშინვე (mašinve)
• Greek:

  Ancient: παραχρῆμα (parakhrêma)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Irish: ar an ásc sin
• Italian: subito (it), immediatamente (it)
• Latin: ilico, illico, praesto
• Macedonian: на лице место (na lice mesto) (idiomatic)
• Russian: неме́дленно (ru) (nemédlenno), сра́зу (же) (ru) (srázu (že)), ту́т же (tút že)
• Scottish Gaelic: anns a' bhad, sa bhad
• Swedish: på fläcken (sv)

having to answer or decide without warning

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Finnish: tiukille
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

in the right place at the moment

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: paikalla (fi), paikan päällä (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: sur place (fr)
• Italian: sul posto
• Russian: на ме́сте (na méste)
• Serbo-Croatian: na mjestu

See also

• hit the spot
• on the dot
• on-the-spot (adjective)