prompt

Done quickly, or ready to act without waiting.

• Thank you for your prompt reply.
• Prompt action saved the injured driver.
• The staff were prompt in dealing with our request.

How to use it: prompt in doing something (They were prompt in answering my questions.)

Similar words: quick, immediate, swift

Opposites: slow, delayed

Common phrases: prompt response, prompt action, prompt payment

Arriving or doing something at the agreed time.

• Please be prompt tomorrow.
• Her prompt arrival allowed us to start on time.
• Were all the guests prompt for dinner?

How to use it: prompt for something (Please be prompt for your interview.)

Similar words: punctual, on time

Opposites: late

Common phrases: be prompt, prompt arrival, prompt for something

Text given to an artificial intelligence system to tell it what to produce.

• Write a clear prompt.
• She changed the prompt to get a brighter image.
• Which prompt produced the most useful answer?

How to use it: a prompt for something (I wrote a prompt for an AI image generator.)

Similar words: instruction

Common phrases: write a prompt, image prompt, detailed prompt

A question or set of instructions that tells students what to write about.

• Read the prompt carefully.
• Our teacher gave us three writing prompts.
• Her essay did not answer the question in the prompt.

How to use it: a prompt for something (The teacher gave us a prompt for a short story.)

Similar words: instructions, writing task

Common phrases: writing prompt, essay prompt, respond to prompt

A sign on a computer screen showing that it is ready for you to type something.

• A prompt appeared on the screen.
• Type your name at the prompt.
• The terminal showed a new prompt after the command finished.

Common phrases: command prompt, password prompt, at the prompt

Help someone decide what to say or do by giving a suggestion or reminder.

• She prompted me with a question.
• The teacher prompted the child to try again.
• He needed someone to prompt him before he answered.

How to use it: prompt someone to do something (The teacher prompted Anna to explain her answer.); prompt someone with something (I prompted him with a few questions.)

Similar words: guide, encourage, nudge

Common phrases: prompt someone gently, prompt someone to speak, prompt someone with something

Give an artificial intelligence system written instructions so it produces what you want.

• We prompted the chatbot to write a poem.
• Try prompting the model with a more detailed description.
• How did you prompt it to produce that image?

How to use it: prompt something to do something (She prompted the model to summarize the article.); prompt something with something (We prompted the chatbot with a short question.)

Similar words: instruct

Common phrases: prompt a model, prompt an ai, prompt with something

Remind a performer of the words or actions they have forgotten.

• Please prompt me if I forget.
• She prompted the actor from behind the curtain.
• He forgot his lines and had to be prompted.

Similar words: cue

Common phrases: prompt an actor, prompt someone onstage, prompt from backstage