readily

readily — adverb

1. used of a person who does what is asked happily and without needing encouragemen

1.adverbB1
Definition

used of a person who does what is asked happily and without needing encouragement or a second request

Example

Matthew readily agreed to help his younger sister with her maths homework.

readily + verb of agreeing (agreed to help)

When the team leader asked for volunteers, Sari readily raised her hand.

Common collocations
  • readily agree
  • readily accept
  • readily admit
  • readily offer
  • readily help
Synonyms
  • willingly

    more neutral; does not imply eagerness as strongly

  • gladly

    suggests the person feels genuine happiness about doing it

  • voluntarily

    emphasises that no one forced the person to act

Antonyms
  • reluctantly

    showing hesitation or unwillingness, the opposite of eager agreement

Grammar Patterns

readily + verb

readily + past participle (passive)

Usage Note

Commonly paired with verbs of agreement, acceptance, and volunteering such as agree, accept, admit, offer, and help. Frequently used in past-tense narratives to show a character's cooperative attitude.

Common Mistakes

She was readily to help.
She was ready to help.' or 'She readily helped.
'readily' is an adverb, not an adjective; use 'ready' as an adjective after 'be'.

2. used to say that something can be done, found, or obtained quickly and without m

2.adverbB1
Definition

used to say that something can be done, found, or obtained quickly and without much effort or trouble

Example

The hospital's visiting hours are readily available on its official website.

readily available (common collocation)

Fresh herbs for the recipe can be readily found at the market near Yuki's apartment.

Common collocations
  • readily available
  • readily accessible
  • readily apparent
  • readily understood
  • readily found
  • readily converted
Synonyms
  • easily

    most common synonym; slightly more informal in some contexts

  • without effort

    a phrase rather than a single word, used for emphasis

  • quickly

    focuses on speed rather than lack of difficulty

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

readily + adjective

readily + past participle

Usage Note

Most frequently found in the fixed expression 'readily available'. The subject of the sentence is usually a thing (information, items, data) rather than a person.

Common Mistakes

The information is readily.
The information is readily available.
'readily' is an adverb and cannot stand as a complement after 'be'; it must modify an adjective or verb.
I can readily.
I can do it readily.
'readily' needs a verb to modify; it cannot replace the verb.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

These words all describe doing something because you want to, but they differ in emotional tone. 'Readily' focuses on speed and lack of hesitation — the person acts as soon as the need appears, without needing persuasion. 'Willingly' is the broadest and most neutral; it simply states that the person did not object. 'Gladly' adds a layer of positive emotion — the person feels happy to help. 'Voluntarily' emphasises that the action was the person's own choice, with no external pressure. 'Cheerfully' suggests a noticeable good mood while performing the action. For example: 'She readily agreed' implies she agreed at once, without pause. 'She willingly agreed' simply says she had no objection. 'She gladly agreed' suggests she was genuinely pleased. 'She volunteered to help' highlights that no one asked her. 'She cheerfully helped' describes the upbeat way she worked.

readily ↗willingly ↗gladly ↗voluntarilycheerfully ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • quite readily
  • very readily
  • more readily
  • less readily

Phrases

  • readily available
  • readily apparent
  • readily accessible
  • readily understandable

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'ready' (from Old English 'ræde' meaning prepared or prompt, with Germanic roots meaning to prepare or make ready) plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. The sense of willingness developed in Middle English, and the sense of ease ('without difficulty') followed by the 16th century.