ready

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈrɛdi/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈrɛdi/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(red′ē)

Inflections of 'ready' (n): npl: readies
Inflections of 'ready' (adj):
readier
adj comparative
readiest
adj superlative
Inflections of 'ready' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
readies
v 3rd person singular
readying
v pres p
readied
v past
readied
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
read•y /ˈrɛdi/USA pronunciation   adj., -i•er, -i•est, v., read•ied, read•y•ing. 
adj. 
  1. completely prepared or in fit condition for action or use:[be + ~]The car is ready for you to pick up from the repair shop.[~ + for]The troops were ready for battle.[~ + to + verb]The team was ready to play its best game ever.
  2. willing; not hesitating:[be + ~ + to + verb]He was always ready to criticize.
  3. prompt or quick in seeing and understanding, comprehending, speaking, action, performing, etc.:[before a noun]a ready reply; a ready wit.
  4. in such a condition as to be likely to do something at any moment:[be + ~ + to + verb]a tree that was ready to fall.
  5. immediately available for use:[before a noun]He had a reserve of ready money.

v. [~ + object]
  1. to make ready;
    prepare:The chef was readying dinner.
Idioms
  1. Idioms at the ready, ready for use:held their weapons at the ready.
read•i•ly /ˈrɛdəli/USA pronunciation  adv. 
read•i•ness, n. [uncountable]


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
read•y  (red′ē),USA pronunciation adj., read•i•er, read•i•est, v., read•ied, read•y•ing, n., interj. 
adj. 
  1. completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use:troops ready for battle; Dinner is ready.
  2. duly equipped, completed, adjusted, or arranged, as for an occasion or purpose:The mechanic called to say that the car is ready.
  3. willing:ready to forgive.
  4. prompt or quick in perceiving, comprehending, speaking, writing, etc.
  5. proceeding from or showing such quickness:a ready reply.
  6. prompt or quick in action, performance, manifestation, etc.:a keen mind and ready wit.
  7. inclined;
    disposed;
    apt:too ready to criticize others.
  8. in such a condition as to be imminent;
    likely at any moment:a tree ready to fall.
  9. immediately available for use:a ready source of cash.
  10. pertaining to prompt payment.
  11. present or convenient:to lie ready to one's hand.
  12. get ready! (in calling the start of a race) be prepared to start:Get ready! Get set! Go!
  13. make ready:
    • to bring to a state of readiness or completion;
      prepare.
    • Printingto ready a press for printing.

v.t. 
  1. to make ready;
    prepare.
  2. British Terms ready up, and Australian Slang. to swindle.

n. 
  1. the state or condition of being ready.
  2. Informal Termsready money;
    cash.
  3. 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.

interj. 
  1. (used in calling the start of a race to indicate that racers should be prepared to start):Ready! Set! Go!
  • Middle English redy, early Middle English rædig, equivalent. to Old English rǣde prompt + -ig -y1 1150–1200
    1. fit, set. 3. agreeable, glad, happy. 4. alert, acute, sharp, keen, adroit, facile, clever, skillful, nimble, adaptable.
    1. unfit. 3. unwilling.
    See already. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ready /ˈrɛdɪ/ adj (readier, readiest)
  1. in a state of completion or preparedness, as for use or action
  2. willing or eager: ready helpers
  3. prompt or rapid: a ready response
  4. (prenominal) quick in perceiving; intelligent: a ready mind
  5. (postpositive) followed by to: on the point (of) or liable (to): ready to collapse
  6. (postpositive) conveniently near (esp in the phrase ready to hand)
  7. make ready, get ready ⇒ to prepare oneself or something for use or action
 n
  1. the ready ⇒ informal short for ready money
  2. at the ready ⇒
    • poised for use or action: with pen at the ready
    • (of a rifle) in the position normally adopted immediately prior to aiming and firing
 vb
  1. (transitive) to put in a state of readiness; prepare
Etymology: Old English (ge)rǣde; related to Old Frisian rēde, Old High German reiti, Old Norse reithr ready
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'ready' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
action stations - alert - apparatus - apparel - armament - array - beck - bed - bellicose - bold - bush - bush carpenter - case - cash - catching pen - clamp - cock - combatant - combative - compensation culture - cook - culprit - curry - defeatism - defensive - desperado - diastole - do - docile - dressing - easy - emperor - enterprising - excitable - facility - fatstock - fit - flan - flying squad - forme - forthcoming - forward - four - free - free-living - game - garage - garage band - gather - get
Collocations: UK: [look, ask, search] for the readies, readied himself for the [day, competition, news], [will] be ready [in March, by 5:00], more...

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