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

Apple might believe that the move to 5G is premature, or its hands might be tied by the fact that its preferred modem partner (Intel) is not ready for the transition. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "Apple will skip 5G in 2019, report says," 3 Dec. 2018 Kira was put to sleep for the initial portion of the surgery and then woken up when Dr. Hauptman was ready to remove the tumor. — Emma Sarran Webster, Teen Vogue, "A 19-year-old Sang During Brain Surgery so Doctors Could Preserve Her Musical Talent," 19 Nov. 2018 Have medications for your allergies (and asthma, if necessary) ready to go in case any of these preventive measures don’t work. — Colleen Stinchcombe, SELF, "13 Ways to Triumph Over Fall Allergies," 13 Nov. 2018 According to Bloomberg, Samsung might still not ready to fully show off its folding phone, with vertical and landscape prototypes both in the running for final approval. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "Unless Samsung is trolling us, a folding Galaxy phone is finally coming this week," 5 Nov. 2018 Get ready for some unusual plants to start popping up outside public sites all over South Florida. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Why are solar trees popping up all over? Thank thousands of South Florida families," 13 July 2018 Sermon said the time off helped the four members recharge and get ready for the next step in their musical journey. — Alan Sculley, kansascity, "Imagine Dragons: ‘Evolve’ show is ‘the most complicated production’ they’ve done," 11 July 2018 Half an hour later, the balloon is ready to go, held in place by a red horizontal bar and protected from the wind by walls on three sides. — Alex Davies, WIRED, "Inside X, the Moonshot Factory Racing to Build the Next Google," 11 July 2018 Here's a look at what some of them are doing to get ready for the 2018 season. — Richard Obert, azcentral, "Scenes from Arizona high school football preseason camps," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

And with this summer’s record-breaking heat wave, British winemakers are readying their cellars for the 2018 vintage. — Tyler Wetherall, Condé Nast Traveler, "Kent Is Poised to Be the U.K.'s Napa Valley," 14 Sep. 2018 France is readying to welcome home the national soccer team for a parade down the Champs-Elysees, where tens of thousands thronged after the team's 4-2 victory over Croatia Sunday. — Fox News, "The Latest: French soccer team gets hero's welcome in Paris," 16 July 2018 Tottenham are reportedly readying themselves to approach the Old Trafford side with another offer for the pacey Frenchman, but Juventus and Chelsea are understood to be monitoring the situation regarding the player as well. — SI.com, "Jose Mourinho Makes Decision on Anthony Martial & Toby Alderweireld Swap Deal," 29 June 2018 Amazon Prime Day 2018 is finally here, which means that Prime members everywhere are readying their closets and fingertips for awesome savings on just about everything. — Tiffany Dodson, SELF, "The Best Amazon Prime Day Fitness Sales Right Now," 16 July 2018 His mother, Nursaule, scoops him from a crib engraved with pictures of coconut palms and joggles him on her knee while the doctor readies his shot. — Time, "Life in the Most Polluted Capital in the World," 28 June 2018 Explaining how this team—one that started the year 14–15 and 2–7 in the league—is in Omaha readying to play Washington in the primetime slot Saturday night at the College World Series is not easy. — Ross Dellenger, SI.com, "How Mississippi State Baseball Turned a Season That Began in Humiliation Into a Trip to Omaha," 15 June 2018 No Time To Rest: After finishing a three-year tour that sold a reported 6.4 million tickets, Brooks is in the studio readying a new album. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "Billboard's 2018 Country Power Players List Revealed: The Industry's Most Influential," 5 June 2018 Health officials are still hoping to get 500 participants for the blood study and have clinics ready in Bucks and Montgomery Counties for the blood drawing. — Laura Mccrystal, Philly.com, "Bucks and Montco towns with water contamination chosen for blood testing," 31 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.