ready

1 of 2

adjective

readier; readiest
1
a
: prepared mentally or physically for some experience or action
b
: prepared for immediate use
dinner is ready
2
a
: willingly disposed : inclined
ready to agree to his proposal
b
: likely to do something indicated
a house that looks ready to collapse
3
: displayed readily and spontaneously
a ready wit
4
: immediately available
had ready cash

ready

2 of 2

verb

readied; readying

transitive verb

: to make ready
Phrases
at the ready
: ready for immediate use
kept guns at the ready
Choose the Right Synonym for ready

quick, prompt, ready, apt mean able to respond without delay or hesitation or indicative of such ability.

quick stresses instancy of response and is likely to connote native rather than acquired power.

quick reflexes
a keen quick mind

prompt is more likely to connote training and discipline that fits one for instant response.

prompt emergency medical care

ready suggests facility or fluency in response.

backed by a pair of ready assistants

apt stresses the possession of qualities (such as intelligence, a particular talent, or a strong bent) that makes quick effective response possible.

an apt student
her answer was apt and to the point

Examples of ready in a Sentence

Adjective I'll be ready in 10 minutes. “Can we leave now?” “I'm ready when you are.” Your prescription will be ready in about 20 minutes. The car won't be ready until tomorrow. We got everything ready for the party before the guests arrived. Verb They readied the room for guests. She readied herself to speak. We have to ready ourselves for a tough fight ahead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
This rechargeable drone is ready to use out of the box, but parents will need to have 3 AAA batteries ready to operate the remote control. Maya Polton, Parents, 12 Apr. 2024 With warm weather around the corner, be sure your closet, home, and beauty cabinet are ready. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024 Garland, too, is more than ready to supply the images. The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024 Finally, everyone's ready to remove one of the fetuses. Rob Stein, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024 But, Kishida stressed, Japan was ready to share the United States’ burden. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024 After spending some time in a Foster Hero home, Freya has finished her duties as a mom and is now ready to be the baby in her new home. The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024 Trusting the timing of your life and knowing New York audiences weren’t ready to see this show before the pandemic. Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024 But in an age where extremists are ready and primed to decode and interpret any piece of media for their own ends, what Garland has really done is create a film in which these groups can see themselves on screen as the good guys. David Gilbert, WIRED, 12 Apr. 2024
Verb
Microsoft appears to be readying a white version of its Xbox Series X console without a disc drive. Tom Warren, The Verge, 27 Mar. 2024 Presumably, then, the art of olfaction can ready our minds for new experiences. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Below, 16 members of Forbes Technology Council discuss essential steps tech leaders should take now to ready their systems, their teams and their data for the era of mainstream quantum computing. 1. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Blaire likens the system to that of a trauma alert — a message sent to medical centers to ready a response to near-fatal car wrecks or shootings. Lauren Peace, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024 These are some of the materials that are readying us for the next chapter of the coronavirus saga. Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 It will be tasked with naming a prime minister to replace Henry, readying the country to receive the mission and preparing for eventual elections. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 The new owners have spent the last few weeks quietly readying the space, tinkering with recipes; the breakfast sandwich and jerk chicken sandwich are now served on Jamaican-style coco bread with a golden sheen of crust. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Volunteer Robin Gorman readies the dining room and stays out of the kitchen. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ready.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English redy; akin to Old English gerǣde ready, Goth garaiths arranged

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ready was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near ready

Cite this Entry

“Ready.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ready. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

ready

1 of 2 adjective
readier; readiest
1
: prepared for use or action
dinner is ready
2
: likely to do something
ready to cry
3
: willing sense 1
ready to give aid
4
: showing ease and promptness
a ready answer
5
: available right away : handy
ready money
readily
ˈred-ᵊl-ē
adverb
readiness
ˈred-ē-nəs
noun

ready

2 of 2 verb
readied; readying
: to make ready : prepare

More from Merriam-Webster on ready

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