pronto
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of pronto
1840–50, < Spanish (adj. and adv.) quick, quickly < Latin promptus prompt (adj.)
Explanation
Pronto is an adverb meaning promptly or quickly. If someone asks you to do something pronto, they want it done now. Sometimes parents, bosses, and teachers need you to do something fast: one word that carries this meaning is pronto, which comes from Italian and originally applied to playing music quickly. If your dad says, "Take out the trash pronto!" he wants you to take it out now. If your boss asks you to finish a project pronto, she wants you to finish it right away. Pronto means about the same as ASAP, which stands for "as soon as possible."
Vocabulary lists containing pronto
Immediately
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Immediately
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Red Flags and Butterflies
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But that didn't happen in this case, such was the rush to get Lord Mandelson out to Washington pronto.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
Other states and other nations would do the same if this Medfly thing wasn’t stopped, and pronto.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2024
The cookies are a seasonal item and available for only a few months, so be sure to stock up on them pronto.
From Salon • Dec. 5, 2023
Se podría señalar que es demasiado pronto como para estar prescribiendo un futuro para el universo.
From New York Times • May 6, 2023
If they say no, send Pig back pronto and we’ll come and get you at five o’clock on Sunday anyway.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
