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

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in small containers. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 May 2025

Assad promptly fled to his new life in exile in Moscow. —Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025

The suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, was promptly taken into custody at the scene of the shooting and was being questioned by police, according to Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. —Helena Skinner, ABC News, 23 May 2025

Addressing these symptoms promptly by visiting a healthcare provider or calling 911 could save your life, improve your outcomes, and prevent complications. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 23 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1