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Synonyms

soon

American  
[soon] / sun /

adverb

sooner, soonest

  1. within a short period after this or that time, event, etc..

    We shall know soon after he calls.

  2. before long; in the near future; at an early date.

    Let's leave soon.

  3. promptly or quickly.

    He came as soon as he could.

  4. readily or willingly.

    I would as soon walk as ride.

  5. early in a period of time; before the time specified is much advanced.

    soon at night; soon in the evening.

  6. Obsolete. immediately; at once; forthwith.

soon British  
/ suːn /

adverb

  1. in or after a short time; in a little while; before long

    the doctor will soon be here

  2. at the very moment that

    she burst into tears as soon as she saw him

  3. used to indicate that the second alternative mentioned is not preferable to the first

    I'd just as soon go by train as drive
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
soon Idioms  

  1. see as soon as; fool and his money are soon parted; had rather (sooner); just as soon; no sooner said than done; speak too soon.

Etymology

Origin of soon

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sōna; cognate with Old High German sān, Gothic suns

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.

The Australian dollar was up 0.5% at US$0.6792, after a drop in the country’s December unemployment rate stoked expectations for the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise rates as soon as next month.

From The Wall Street Journal

They were soon joined by Iranians of all backgrounds, including the young and secular who were the driving force behind earlier waves of antiregime protests.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead, her suggestion is to prepare the child as soon as they get home - weaving the night time routine naturally into the conversation and reinforcing it regularly throughout the evening.

From BBC

A senior White House official said Rodriguez would visit soon, but no date has been set.

From Barron's

Last summer, soon after the memo was issued, they launched a pilot program to try it out in Minnesota—for reasons unrelated to the current ICE surge there, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.