prompt
Americanadjective
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done, performed, delivered, etc., at once or without delay.
I emailed them asking about my package and they gave a prompt reply.
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ready in action; quick to act as occasion demands.
They were trained to be prompt and competent for any emergency.
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quick or alert.
You're too prompt to take offense.
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She's never prompt in arriving for work, yet she's always the first to leave at the end of the day.
verb (used with object)
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prompts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prompted,
past participle, past
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prompting
present participle
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to move or induce to action.
What prompted you to say that?
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to occasion or incite; inspire.
What prompted his resignation?
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to assist (a person speaking) by suggesting something to be said.
It's obvious that this witness has been prompted into giving false testimony.
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Theater. to supply (an actor, singer, etc.) from offstage with a missed cue or forgotten line.
I focused on prompting our Cyrano, who had become strangely disoriented.
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Computers. (of a computer system) to send a message or symbol to (a user) requesting information or instructions, usually by displaying the message or symbol on a screen.
Once the home page has loaded, the computer will prompt you to log in to your account.
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Computers, Digital Technology. to request particular output from (a machine learning algorithm) by means of instructions, questions, examples, context, or other input.
verb (used without object)
-
prompts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prompted,
past participle, past
-
prompting
present participle
noun
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prompts
plural
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the act of prompting.
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something serving to suggest or remind.
They send an email once a month, which is just the prompt I need to pay my bill on time.
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Commerce.
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a limit of time given for payment for merchandise purchased, the limit being stated on a note of reminder prompt note.
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the contract setting the time limit.
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Computers. a message or symbol from a computer system to a user, generally appearing on a display screen, requesting more information or indicating that the system is ready for user instructions.
When the prompt appears, provide your access code.
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Computers, Digital Technology. a sequence of inputs, often containing instructions, questions, examples, or context, used to request particular output from a machine learning algorithm.
idioms
adjective
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performed or executed without delay
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quick or ready to act or respond
adverb
verb
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(tr) to urge (someone to do something)
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to remind (an actor, singer, etc) of lines forgotten during a performance
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(tr) to refresh the memory of
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(tr) to give rise to by suggestion
his affairs will prompt discussion
noun
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commerce
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the time limit allowed for payment of the debt incurred by purchasing goods or services on credit
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the contract specifying this time limit
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Also called: prompt note. a memorandum sent to a purchaser to remind him of the time limit and the sum due
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the act of prompting
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anything that serves to remind
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an aid to the operator of a computer in the form of a question or statement that appears on the screen showing that the equipment is ready to proceed and indicating the options available
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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promptsimple
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promptssimple
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have promptedperfect
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has promptedperfect
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am promptingprogressive
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are promptingprogressive
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is promptingprogressive
-
have been promptingperfect progressive
-
has been promptingperfect progressive
Past
-
promptedsimple
-
had promptedperfect
-
was promptingprogressive
-
were promptingprogressive
-
had been promptingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prompt
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English prompte “ready, eager” (adjective), prompten (verb), both ultimately from Latin promptus “manifest, at hand, ready, quick, prepared,” adjective use of past participle of prōmere “to bring forth, deliver, set forth,” from prō- pro- 1 + (e)mere “to buy, obtain, take”
Explanation
If you're prompt, you're on time. Go ahead and be prompt to class. Also, to prompt is to inspire or make happen. Getting in trouble for being late should prompt you to get a better alarm clock. The adjective prompt can mean "as scheduled," or simply "quick." When you prompt someone, you motivate them in some way: you might offer a reminder, assistance, or even inspiration to do something. For example, honking your car horn prompts your friend to get moving, and speaking up in defense of your classmate might prompt a bully to change his ways. If a director prompts an actor who's forgotten his lines, she reminds him what comes next.
Vocabulary lists containing prompt
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Amnesty International described the Kafwaya's killing as "deeply alarming" and called for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The fire did prompt two shelter-in-place orders when the fire reached an ammonia line, but Los Angeles Fire Department officials and Lineage say no ammonia was detected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh has moved away from telling markets what would prompt the central bank’s next move.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Pope Leo XIV was "deeply saddened" and "raises his prayers to the Lord for the prompt recovery of those affected by this tragedy," the Vatican said Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
“We saw this a lot driving through Ohio,” he explained without me having to prompt him.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Parents supervising a teen account would get daily notifications of time spent, prompts to review settings and the power to adjust school hours.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Wiener’s campaign said the chatbot was created with “strict guardrails” and designed to ignore controversial and malicious prompts and pivot back to Chan’s policy record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
That’s part of why he skips AI prompts to learn for himself.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
He began hauling chairs and a stack of conversation prompts to parks across New York, inviting commuters, dog walkers and tourists to sit down and talk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The app prompts me to upload a photo.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Those accounts accused Harris of making use of the prompter to answer questions from the audience, asked in English and Spanish, causing Univision producers to set the record straight late Thursday night.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2024
I'd like to see how she performs more off the cuff and without an ability to read from the prompter.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2024
In addition, actor Adam Huel Potter was guaranteed bit roles in Willis films and served as Willis’ prompter, providing the actor his lines through the ear piece.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2022
He would read anything that was on the prompter, and he delivered the jokes really well.
From New York Times ● Jul. 21, 2021
Gold to him was a living force, the origin of all his strength and evil, the prompter of his actions.
From Treasure of Kings Being the Story of the Discovery of the \"Big Fish,\" or the Quest of the Greater Treasure of the Incas of Peru. by Charles Gilson
The Federal Reserve Board's first credit-easing step, in May 1953, "was the promptest response to an economic decline ever taken by a central bank in any country."
From Time Magazine Archive
Needed: "Additional and improved bombers, airborne alert, more missiles of existing types, speeded production of Polaris submarines, the promptest possible dispersal and hardening of bases, and a program for civil defense."
From Time Magazine Archive
The day Yastrzemski steps out, museum curators will mark him for promptest delivery.
From Time Magazine Archive
Now, if ever, was the time for his promptest action, and with Winn thought and action went hand in hand.
From Raftmates A Story of the Great River by Kirk Munroe
"Certainly not," says Peggotty, with the promptest decision.
From Dickens' Stories About Children Every Child Can Read by Charles Dickens
The 58-year-old announced in March that would give 16 concerts in the French capital starting from September and October after a lengthy break prompted by health problems.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Burnham's comments on policing prompted concern from one Labour MP, who told BBC Wales: "It will be a travesty and not in Wales's interest."
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
This trade is prompted by concerns about high levels of U.S. debt and the potential for prolonged inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Because the evolved supergiant is expected to eventually end its life in a supernova explosion, the dramatic dimming prompted speculation that the star might be preparing to explode.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
She thought back to the time before lull, and the onslaught of nightmares that had prompted Great Ellen to start brewing it for her.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Some locals have opposed the tax breaks that attract the investment, prompting some states to pause or claw them back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
A judge ordered him detained pending extradition proceedings, prompting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to send Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a formal request for Castro’s extradition.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
The last time the industry saw something similar was during the COVID-19 pandemic as Americans found themselves largely unable to spend on services, prompting them to buy more physical products instead.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
Sugar prices have jumped nearly 40% in the past two months, prompting the government to import 1 million tonnes for the first time in nearly a decade.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
On our bed, we bounced with glee as our mattress squeaked, prompting Keav to yell at us.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
