US /ˈɹed.i/ UK /ˈɹɛd.i/
adj noun verb Freq #281

Meanings

  1. 1
    adj

    Fully prepared and able to do something or be used right away.

    Are you ready to leave?

  2. 2
    adj

    Willing and happy to do something.

    I was ready to believe them.

  3. 3
    verb

    To prepare someone or something for a particular purpose.

    Get the children ready for school!

  4. 4
    adj

    Quick to act, respond, or notice.

    She always has a ready answer for every question.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
3 verb · to prepare someone or... prepareset upgear up
4 adj · quick to act, respond, or... promptquick
Opposites
Word family
Forms readiedreadierreadiesreadiestreadying
Derived forms aimcombat-readyharvest-readyoverreadyreadilyreadimentreadinessready-cookedready-handedready-handednessready-madeready-meal

Etymology

From Middle English redy, redi, rædiȝ, iredi, ȝerǣdi, alteration ( + -y) of earlier irēd, irede, ȝerād (“ready, prepared”), from Old English rǣde, ġerǣde (also ġerȳde) ("prepared, prompt, ready, ready for riding (horse), mounted (on a horse), skilled, simple, easy"), from Proto-Germanic *garaidijaz, *raidijaz, from base *raidaz (“ready”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁dʰ-, *h₂reh₁- (“to count, put in order, arrange, make comfortable”) and also probably conflated with Proto-Indo-European *reydʰ- (“to ride”) in the sense of "set to ride, able or fit to go, ready". Cognate with Scots readie, re…

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Topics

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