promptly

adverb

prompt·​ly ˈpräm(p)t-lē 

ˈpräm-plē

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

• bang
• directly
• forthwith
• headlong
• immediately
• incontinently
• instantaneously
• instanter
• instantly
• now
• PDQ
• plumb
• presently
• pronto
• right
• right away
• right now
• right off
• straight off
• straightaway
• straightway

Examples of promptly in a Sentence

shipped the package promptly so that it would arrive on time

Recent Examples on the Web

He was promptly stopped by Corey Anderson in his next fight and then lost a unanimous decision to Nikita Krylov. —Brian Mazique, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

Whelton says utilities can help alleviate people's exposure and health concerns by flushing the water systems promptly, testing the water repeatedly, and communicating problems and timelines with the public. —Pien Huang, NPR, 11 Jan. 2025

Territorial in nature, the pack would not tolerate the intruder and promptly killed it. —Al Wolter, Outdoor Life, 10 Jan. 2025

Remove snow promptly with a shovel or pay a service to do it for you. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1