Word
ASAP
Phoneticsas·ap
US/ˈeɪˈɛˈseɪˈpi/
UK/ˌeɪˌɛsˌeɪpˈiː/
Adverb of time
Definition
adv. Stands for As Soon As Possible. It means you want something to happen right away or at the earliest time someone can do it.
adv. Abbreviation for As Soon As Possible. Used to denote urgency, requesting that a task be completed at the earliest opportunity.
Examples
“Please call me back ASAP.”
“The manager requested that the sales reports be submitted ASAP so the team could prepare for the meeting.”
“While the client requested the revisions ASAP, the design team insisted on a forty-eight-hour window to ensure the quality of the final renders remained high.”
Examples
simple
“Please call me back ASAP.”
contextual
“The manager requested that the sales reports be submitted ASAP so the team could prepare for the meeting.”
complex
“While the client requested the revisions ASAP, the design team insisted on a forty-eight-hour window to ensure the quality of the final renders remained high.”
Usage
Can be pronounced as individual letters (A-S-A-P) or as a single word ('ay-sap').
Teaching tip
While common in business emails, it can sometimes sound demanding or rude; 'at your earliest convenience' is a more polite alternative for formal writing.
Pitfall
I need it as ASAP.
I need it ASAP.
Do not use 'as' before ASAP, because the 'A' in the acronym already stands for 'as'.
Etymology
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.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 2
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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- Informal
QR code
englishreference.com/q/asap