ready
Americanadjective
-
completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use.
troops ready for battle;
Dinner is ready.
- Antonyms:
- unfit
-
duly equipped, completed, adjusted, or arranged, as for an occasion or purpose.
The mechanic called to say that the car is ready.
-
willing.
ready to forgive.
- Antonyms:
- unwilling
-
prompt or quick in perceiving, comprehending, speaking, writing, etc.
-
proceeding from or showing such quickness.
a ready reply.
-
prompt or quick in action, performance, manifestation, etc..
a keen mind and ready wit.
-
inclined; disposed; apt.
too ready to criticize others.
-
in such a condition as to be imminent; likely at any moment.
a tree ready to fall.
-
immediately available for use.
a ready source of cash.
-
pertaining to prompt payment.
-
present or convenient.
to lie ready to one's hand.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
the state or condition of being ready.
-
Informal. ready money; cash.
interjection
idioms
-
make ready,
-
to bring to a state of readiness or completion; prepare.
-
Printing. to ready a press for printing.
-
-
ready up, to swindle.
-
get ready! (in calling the start of a race) be prepared to start.
Get ready! Get set! Go!
-
at the ready, in a condition of readiness, available for immediate use.
shoppers with their umbrellas at the ready;
soldiers keeping their weapons at the ready.
adjective
-
in a state of completion or preparedness, as for use or action
-
willing or eager
ready helpers
-
prompt or rapid
a ready response
-
(prenominal) quick in perceiving; intelligent
a ready mind
-
on the point (of) or liable (to)
ready to collapse
-
(postpositive) conveniently near (esp in the phrase ready to hand )
-
to prepare oneself or something for use or action
noun
-
informal short for ready money
-
-
poised for use or action
with pen at the ready
-
(of a rifle) in the position normally adopted immediately prior to aiming and firing
-
verb
Commonly Confused
See already.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ready
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English redy, early Middle English rædig, equivalent to Old English rǣde “prompt” + -ig -y 1
Explanation
If you're ready for something, you're prepared — you're all set to do it. You're not truly ready for bed until you're wearing pajamas and have finished brushing your teeth. You can be physically ready, like when you grab a towel and sunblock to get ready for a day at the beach, or mentally ready, like when you're ready to rock your algebra test since you studied so much. Other things are ready when they're available, like dinner or a hotel room. If you ready something (or yourself), you prepare for some specific purpose. The Old English ræde meant "prepare a horse for riding," from a root meaning "ride."
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:
Nvidia isn’t ready for a mere operator CEO, given that AI and its market are very much in flux.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
It will likely take several months before contractors are hired and ready to start collecting on defaulted debt, and much could change in the administration’s approach in the meantime.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026
She said she hoped to find "peace and time for my thoughts" away from the everyday worries about feeding the children and getting everyone ready for the school run.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
In addition to her winning the gubernatorial election, several other indicators suggest that Texas may be ready for Hinojosa’s gradualist approach to limiting capital punishment.
From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026
I leave the basement and find Aunt J in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Melody Butiu, who plays the Siegels’ Filipina nanny and indispensable factotum, has a readier place in our hearts for all that she has had to sacrifice to support her distant family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2025
Depending on the expertise and equipment at a given location, however, many patients in Germany currently have readier access to CSF analysis than to amyloid PET.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
For instance, clinical malaria is known to exhaust T cells, he says, and vaccination, by preventing infection, might therefore leave T cells readier to combat other pathogens.
From Science Magazine ● Oct. 23, 2023
A bigger supply of vaccine, more people with immunity and readier access to a drug to treat mpox are among the reasons.
From Seattle Times ● May 25, 2023
The antelope were more wary, the birds readier to take flight.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Moore might not just be the best high school quarterback in the nation but also the readiest for the college game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2022
Reid has been with the Seahawks the longest, playing in the final preseason game, and Carroll said he is the readiest to contribute as a result.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2021
The readiest way to make sense of him—and to hold at arm's length the pathology that overshadowed and overpowered and informed his genius—is to approach him as some kind of martyr.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2013
Our dialects are often the weapon readiest to hand in that fight.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2012
His first proposition and request, that the dance begun at Mr. Cole’s should be finished there—that the same party should be collected, and the same musician engaged, met with the readiest acquiescence.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Imola is being readied as a potential host for the final grand prix of the season on 4-6 December if the two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot be held.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
France readied on Tuesday for fresh nationwide demonstrations supporting students who have been protesting poor classroom conditions for weeks, with authorities and participants wary of further violence.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Officials and supporters had readied talking points to accompany the definition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
With that cleared up, Parton readied her rhinestone mic-drop: “I just know if I have to pee, I’m gon’ pee.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
Before Westley could answer, Inigo cried out and readied his sword.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
Cuban military dictator Fulgencio Batista spent the next several decades seemingly readying himself to follow Machado to the Sunshine State if and when he needed to make a quick exit.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
It’s unclear, but teams are readying themselves to jump into action whenever the market does move.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are both readying their tokenization platforms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The president's latest order also arrives just as children across the country are readying to return to school, and as the US suffers its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
One by one, boys were stepping out of the crowd and walking over to the long pole; they grabbed it with both hands, gripped it as if readying for a tug-of-war match.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
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