at the ready
Prepared for action
At the ready describes something positioned for immediate use—a weapon raised, a pen poised, a response prepared.
The phrase comes from military drill, where rifles held "at the ready" are in firing position.
It now applies to anything prepared for instant action: She waited with her camera at the ready.
He kept a witty comeback at the ready.
- cockedTilted or primed
- locked and loadedFully prepared to fire
- poisedCalm and controlled
- preparedMade ready beforehand
- primedMade ready beforehand
arming · alert · equipped · hair-trigger · on guard · battle stations · at attention · vigilant · bracing · anticipatory · responsive · deploying · coiled · proactive · standing by · on standby · loaded · mobilizing
- availabilityavailable, unavailable, sold out, in stock, out of stock
- getting readybe prepared, equipping, gear up, prep time, warming up
- readiness levelsprepared, unprepared, ill-prepared, overprepared, underprepared
- helpful phraseshappy to help, at your service, offering help, here for you, lending a hand
- battle-readyarmed, equipped, trained, prepared, mobilized
- military commandsattention, halt, fall back, advance, attack
at the readyunprepared
Lacking readiness beforehand
caught off guard · unready · off guard · ill-prepared · flat-footed
at the readyoff guard
Not prepared for something
asleep at the wheel · unaware · oblivious · asleep · inattentive
at the readyholstered
Kept in a side pouch
stowed away · put away · stood down · at ease · at rest
ready, the, readiness, readily, readied, unready, readying, readies