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 of promptly

• immediately
• instantly
• now

Examples of promptly in a Sentence

shipped the package promptly so that it would arrive on time

Recent Examples on the Web

The family of a man fatally shot during a homecoming event at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging the university's failure to maintain adequate security and promptly respond to warnings of potential violence contributed to his death. —Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026

After a slow and steady ramp up coming off last summer’s season-ending wrist surgery, Mayer made his Grapefruit League debut last Friday and promptly hit a home run off Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, one of the game’s top relievers. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026

If anyone shows signs of heat illness, promptly move them to a cool, shaded area. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026

The football rivalry had something similar with Jim Harbaugh and Mark Dantonio, then promptly lost it with Mel Tucker, Jonathan Smith and Sherrone Moore. —Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1