promptly
Americanadverb
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at once or without delay.
Be sure to complete the form accurately and return it promptly.
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exactly on time; punctually.
The doors will shut promptly at 2 p.m., and no latecomers will be seated.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of promptly
Explanation
To do something promptly is to do it right away or in a timely fashion, avoiding any delays. When you receive an invitation, you might immediately check your calendar and promptly reply. Doing things promptly is the opposite of procrastinating or putting things off. Showing up promptly for meetings, dates, and other plans is courteous and polite. When the President responds promptly to a crisis, it's considered good leadership. If you delay too much, you lost the chance to do something promptly — this is a word for things that happen fast.
Vocabulary lists containing promptly
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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"Of Mice and Men"
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Frindle
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“When we receive reports of unauthorized impersonation, we respond promptly by removing the content,” said Deniz Demir, the company’s head of safety engineering.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
He was created a life peer, Baron Hattersley of Sparkbrook, and - having done so much to pave the way for New Labour - promptly became one of its most visible critics.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
It’s because almost all of the major investment banks, led by Goldman Sachs, are underwriters of this massive stock issue, so they have an incentive to get the shares out the door promptly.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
The pieces were on loan from a Bucharest museum, whose head was promptly sacked for lending the works out in the first place.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
“Harry de Vries will be taken to Amsterdam tomorrow. If you want to see him, come promptly at three this afternoon.”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
