promptly

adverb

prompt·​ly ˈpräm(p)t-lē How to pronounce promptly (audio)
ˈpräm-plē
Synonyms of promptlynext
1
: in a prompt manner : without delay : very quickly or immediately
I'm going to speak French again, something I learned in school and promptly forgot.— Deanna Pai
Treatment is promptly resumed until the virus is suppressed again, and then stopped to see if the patient's immune system is able to keep the viral levels in check.— Joan Stephenson
2
: exactly at a particular time or the correct time
She arrived promptly at 7:00 p.m. as we had agreed.

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of promptly in a Sentence

shipped the package promptly so that it would arrive on time
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The trio of decision makers answered the former Seattle Seahawk’s trade request, and then Pittsburgh promptly extended the two-time Pro Bowler with a handsome new five-year, $150 million contract. — Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025 Follow evacuation orders: When local authorities issue an evacuation order, promptly comply. — Southern California Weather Report, Orange County Register, 13 Mar. 2025 She was rushed into an emergency cesarean surgery and promptly diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication that causes high blood pressure which can be fatal for both mothers and babies. — Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025 School officials maintain alerts are warranted even in less severe cases or false alarms, ensuring potential issues are addressed promptly. — Claire Bryan and Sharon Lurye, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for promptly

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of promptly was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

promptly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Promptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promptly. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on promptly

Nglish: Translation of promptly for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All