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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.

Claim: “They were also rapidly building a vast stockpile of conventional ballistic missiles and would have soon had missiles that could reach the American homeland, Europe, and virtually any other place on earth.”

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

He and Bass had a tense exchange at a news conference soon after the fires, and have since clashed over immigration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

West said a new independent review had been commissioned as soon as these "potential issues" became apparent.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Tech stocks have broadly bounced over the past two sessions, reflecting renewed hope that the war in Iran could soon wind down.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

How grateful I was now for Father’s insistence that his children speak German and English almost as soon as Dutch.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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.