ENGLISH
REFERENCE

prompted

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpɹɑmptɪd// UK //pɹˈɒmptɪd// prompt·ed

v. to make someone decide to do something or to cause something to happen. You use it when an event or a thought acts as a reason for an action.

v. to incite or move a person to action; to serve as the inciting cause of an event or reaction. Transitive — requires a direct object or a following infinitive clause.


SIMPLE

The loud noise prompted her to look outside.

CONTEXTUAL

The sudden drop in sales prompted the manager to reconsider the company's marketing strategy for the next quarter.

COMPLEX

While the initial protest was peaceful, the heavy-handed police response prompted a wider public outcry that eventually led to significant legislative reform.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and often takes an object followed by a 'to-infinitive' (e.g., 'prompted him to go').

Pitfall

The news prompted to a changeThe news prompted a changePrompted is a transitive verb and does not take the preposition 'to' before its direct object.

© 2026 English Reference