ready

adjective

\ ˈre-dē

readier; readiest

Definition of ready

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : prepared mentally or physically for some experience or action

b : prepared for immediate use dinner is ready

2a : willingly disposed : inclined ready to agree to his proposal

b : likely to do something indicated a house that looks ready to collapse

3 : displayed readily and spontaneously a ready wit

4 : immediately available had ready cash

at the ready

: ready for immediate use kept guns at the ready

ready

verb

readied; readying

Definition of ready (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make ready

Other Words from ready Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about ready

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Synonyms & Antonyms for ready

Synonyms: Adjective

fit, go, prepared, set

Synonyms: Verb

equip, fit, prepare, qualify, season, train

Antonyms: Adjective

flat-footed, half-baked, half-cocked, underprepared, unprepared, unready

Choose the Right Synonym for ready

Adjective

quick, prompt, ready, apt mean able to respond without delay or hesitation or indicative of such ability. quick stresses instancy of response and is likely to connote native rather than acquired power. quick reflexes a keen quick mind prompt is more likely to connote training and discipline that fits one for instant response. prompt emergency medical care ready suggests facility or fluency in response. backed by a pair of ready assistants apt stresses the possession of qualities (such as intelligence, a particular talent, or a strong bent) that makes quick effective response possible. an apt student her answer was apt and to the point

Examples of ready in a Sentence

Adjective

I'll be ready in 10 minutes. “Can we leave now?” “I'm ready when you are.” Your prescription will be ready in about 20 minutes. The car won't be ready until tomorrow. We got everything ready for the party before the guests arrived.

Verb

They readied the room for guests. She readied herself to speak. We have to ready ourselves for a tough fight ahead.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Some farmers are ready to welcome the changes that are ushering in that growth in demand. — Michael Hirtzer, latimes.com, "Beyond Meat fever turns the tiny pea into America’s hot new crop," 4 July 2019 Everyone but Taylor is out of options, so when Hundley is ready to come off the IL sometime next month, the A’s will have to designate someone for assignment, meaning performance will be at even more of a premium for the group. — Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, "A’s Nick Hundley makes rapid progress after back injury, knee surgery," 4 July 2019 Christian was a constant positive force on our team, always ready and willing to shoulder more than his share of the load. — Fox News, "Texas teen mows US flag into lawn to honor Army friend who died by suicide along US-Mexico border," 4 July 2019 The president came away angry and ready to question Bolton. — NBC News, "Bolton the hawk struggles to retain his influence with Trump," 3 July 2019 Exclusive - Tottenham are ready to make fresh approaches to Toby Alderweireld and Christian Eriksen in the hope of finally convincing the pair to sign contract extensions. — SI.com, "Tottenham Hopeful Tanguy Ndombele Arrival Will Help Convince First Team Pair to Sign New Contracts," 3 July 2019 There’s Booker, Bridges or even Cameron Johnson and Ty Jerome ready to catch and shoot. — Duane Rankin, azcentral, "NBA free agency: Phoenix Suns take small step toward return to playoffs with roster rebuild," 3 July 2019 Not one of those eight players came in here ready to play in the majors. — Pomerado News, "Bob Parry respected for teaching ‘the Poway way’," 3 July 2019 The West seems to be on this cliff, ready to plunge at any moment deeper into a grave abyss where death becomes a normalized standard for care when life gets too hard to fathom. — Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, "Whether the Issue Is Abortion or Immigration, There Must Be a Better Way," 1 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Trump officials are readying steep 25% duties on an additional $300 billion of Chinese imports, which could take effect as early as next month. — Don Lee, latimes.com, "Trump-Xi meeting this week could head off a global recession or worsen outlook," 24 June 2019 Tottenham Hotspur are readying another offer for Real Betis star Giovani Lo Celso, after their initial proposal was rebuffed by the La Liga side. — SI.com, "Report: Tottenham to Make Improved Bid for Lo Celso After £53M Offer Rejected," 12 June 2019 Mainstream rock mainstays Breaking Benjamin are readying their sixth studio album, and that means a fresh batch of live dates for this spring. — Chris Payne, Billboard, "Breaking Benjamin Announces New U.S. Tour Dates With 10 Years," 12 Mar. 2018 Cohn was meanwhile readying a last-ditch effort to change Trump’s mind. — Justin Sink, Bloomberg.com, "How Trump’s Snap Move on Tariffs Set Off a Week of Disarray," 8 Mar. 2018 Kristopher Howery, an associate professor in Delta’s cybersecurity program, said the two-year curriculum readies students for positions in top companies as well as prepares them to pursue future education and training. — Cynthia Blahnik, Detroit Free Press, "Wanted: More Michiganders to explore new frontier of cybersecurity careers," 14 June 2019 Order a self-driving pizza and ready yourself to spend the last weekend of 2018 diving down pop culture’s darkest rabbit hole. — Aja Romano, Vox, "The Black Mirror: Bandersnatch trailer promises a choose-your-own-nightmare," 27 Dec. 2018 While the internet was busy fantasizing about how the 2020 Toyota Supra would look with previous-gen A80 Supra parts, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) was readying its own modded Supra for the Osaka Automesse show. — Clifford Atiyeh, Car and Driver, "Toyota Releases TRD Performance Styling Parts for the 2020 Supra," 20 May 2019 For the service, the video arm of Alphabet Inc.’s Google is readying its largest marketing effort ever, a bid to win new, paying consumers and generate revenue beyond digital advertising. — Fortune, "Cardi B is Helping YouTube Launch Its Revamped Music Streaming Service," 18 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ready.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.