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

If the government doesn't reimburse them promptly, the inspectors worry about having to pay the steep bills themselves. —Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025

Several lawsuits claimed the drugstore chain failed to protect its customers and did not notify them of the incident promptly. —Ryley Amond, CNBC, 18 Apr. 2025

Anaphylaxis needs to be treated promptly with epinephrine, which is highly effective at slowing or stopping an allergic reaction and can be life-saving. —Wendy Wisner, Health, 17 Apr. 2025

The union argues that by failing to process IDR and PSLF forms promptly, the department is blocking student loan borrowers from receiving the relief they’re entitled to under the law. —Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1