Meaning & use
promptly
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
Without delay; quickly after being asked or after something happens.
Grammar: Usually before or after the verb: she replied promptly.
Patterns
- respond promptly
- pay promptly
Please reply promptly so we can book the room.
The ambulance arrived promptly after the call.
He promptly apologized for the mistake.
adverbnot comparable
Exactly at the time arranged.
Grammar: Often placed before a time: promptly at nine.
Patterns
- promptly at some time
The concert began promptly at eight.
Please arrive promptly at noon.
Lunch is served promptly at one o'clock.
Common combinations
- respond promptly
- Customers expect you to respond promptly.
- promptly at
- The doors close promptly at ten.
- pay promptly
- Please pay promptly to avoid late fees.
- act promptly
- The firm acted promptly after the complaint.
- deal with promptly
- Any problems will be dealt with promptly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- immediately
- Immediately means at once with no gap, while promptly allows a short, reasonable wait.
- quickly
- Quickly describes speed, while promptly adds the sense of acting as soon as needed.
- punctually
- Punctually concerns being on time for a set moment, matching only the second sense of promptly.
- swiftly
- Swiftly is more vivid and stresses speed in how something is done.
Opposites
Word family
- prompt adjective
- done without delay
- promptness noun
- the quality of acting quickly
- prompt verb
- to cause someone to act
- promptitude noun
- formal word for readiness to act
Commonly confused: promptly or prompt?
promptly vs prompt
Prompt is the adjective or verb, while promptly is the adverb; say a prompt reply but reply promptly.
Practice
Which sentence uses promptly correctly?
Choose one answer.
Promptly is an adverb and modifies the verb answered. The others use it as an adjective or without a sensible structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “promptly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.