ASAP
- 01 B1 Intermediate
Stands for As Soon As Possible. It means you want something to happen right away or at the earliest time someone can do it.
Abbreviation for As Soon As Possible. Used to denote urgency, requesting that a task be completed at the earliest opportunity.
Simple“Please send me the report ASAP because the meeting starts in ten minutes.”
In context“The client requested that the revised contract be delivered ASAP to ensure the project remains on schedule for the quarterly launch.”
UsageCan be pronounced as individual letters (A-S-A-P) or as a single word ('ay-sap').
Teacher's tipWhile common in business emails, it can sometimes sound demanding or rude; 'at your earliest convenience' is a more polite alternative for formal writing.
PitfallI need it as ASAP. I need it ASAP.Do not use 'as' before ASAP, because the 'A' in the acronym already stands for 'as'.
SynonymsAntonyms
From the 1950s. First known use in a book of Captain Annis G Thompson, who was involved in the Korean War, The Greatest Airlift (1954). Originally used in the meaning "as soon as militarily possible" by military forces.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.