# ready

/ˈɹɛdi/ (US) · /ɹˈɛdi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ready
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. prepared for action

adjective · CEFR A1

prepared for what you are about to do.

For teachers: fully prepared or equipped for immediate action or use.

- I will be ready to leave the house in ten minutes.
- The emergency response team remained ready to deploy at a moment's notice throughout the duration of the storm.

### 2. available for use

adjective · CEFR A1

available to be used immediately.

For teachers: available for immediate use; easily accessible or at hand.

- Is the meeting room ready for us to start the presentation?
- The report was ready for distribution by Monday morning, following a final round of rigorous proofreading.

### 3. quick or prompt

adjective · CEFR B2

quick to act or understand something.

For teachers: characterised by quickness or promptness in action, perception, or response.

- She always has a ready answer for every question the teacher asks.
- His ready wit and ability to improvise made him an ideal candidate for the live television broadcast.

### 4. to prepare

verb · CEFR B2

to get something or someone prepared for a task.

For teachers: to make something or someone ready for a specific purpose or action.

- The soldiers spent the morning readying their equipment for the long march.
- The ground crew worked feverishly to ready the aircraft for departure before the weather window closed.

Usage: This verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

### 5. cash money

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · British English

a slang word for cash or money that you have right now.

For teachers: cash or ready money available for immediate spending.

- He didn't have any of the ready on him, so he couldn't pay.
- In those days, if you didn't have the ready in your pocket, you simply didn't get the goods.

Usage: Usually used with the definite article as 'the ready'.

## Examples

- I am ready to leave for work now.
- The kitchen staff worked quickly to ensure that every table was ready before the dinner guests arrived.
- The legal team spent months gathering evidence to ensure they were fully ready to present their case when the trial finally commenced.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.