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

At a Goop-like wellness empire built on female empowerment, Alice meets her doppelganger — a shinier, breezier British import who promptly steals her promotion. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026

The blooms were promptly swapped out. —Kennedy French, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026

The East Bay Area Democrat, who is facing multiple criminal investigations, promptly ended his gubernatorial bid and resigned from Congress. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026

Candidates who don't hear back promptly may disengage or accept other offers, ultimately impacting the hiring timeline. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1