/ ˈredi; NAmE / adjective , verb , adverb , noun
■ adjective
( read·ier , readi·est )
PREPARED / AVAILABLE
1.
[ not before noun ] ready (for sth) | ready (to do sth) fully prepared for what you are going to do :
Are you nearly ready?
I'm just getting the kids ready for school.
Right, we're ready to go.
'Shall we go?' 'I'm ready when you are !'
Volunteers were ready and waiting to pack the food in boxes.
I was twenty years old and ready for anything .
2.
[ not before noun ] ready (for sth) | ready (to do sth) completed and available to be used :
Come on, dinner's ready!
The new building should be ready by 2007.
Can you help me get everything ready for the party?
The contract will be ready to sign in two weeks.
3.
available to be used easily and immediately :
All the relevant records are easily available ready to hand .
a ready supply of wood
a ready source of income
—see also readily , readiness , rough-and-ready
WILLING
4.
[ not before noun ] ready (for / with sth) | ready (to do sth) willing and quick to do or give sth :
I was very angry and ready for a fight.
She's always ready with advice.
He's always ready to help his friends.
Don't be so ready to believe the worst about people.
LIKELY TO DO STH
5.
ready to do sth likely to do sth very soon
SYN on the point of :
She looked ready to collapse at any minute.
NEEDING STH
6.
ready for sth needing sth as soon as possible :
Right, I'm ready for bed.
After the long walk, we were all ready for a drink.
QUICK / CLEVER
7.
[ only before noun ] quick and clever :
She has great charm and a ready wit.
•
IDIOMS
- make ready (for sth)
- ready, steady, go!
- ready to roll
■ verb
( read·ies , ready·ing , read·ied , read·ied ) ready sb / yourself / sth (for sth) ( formal ) to prepare sb/yourself/sth for sth :
[ vn ]
Western companies were readying themselves for the challenge from Eastern markets.
[also v to inf , vn to inf ]
■ adverb
(used before a past participle, especially in compounds) already done :
ready-cooked meals
The concrete was ready mixed.
■ noun
the ready [ sing. ] (also read·ies [ pl. ]) ( BrE , informal ) money that you can use immediately
•
IDIOMS
- at the ready
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old English rǣde (from a Germanic base meaning arrange, prepare ; related to Dutch gereed ) + -y .