soon
[ soon ]
/ sun /
adverb, soon·er, soon·est.
within a short period after this or that time, event, etc.: We shall know soon after he calls.
before long; in the near future; at an early date: Let's leave soon.
promptly or quickly: He came as soon as he could.
readily or willingly: I would as soon walk as ride.
early in a period of time; before the time specified is much advanced: soon at night; soon in the evening.
Obsolete. immediately; at once; forthwith.
Nearby words
soo canals, soochow, sooey, sook, sool, soon, sooner, sooner or later, sooner state, sooner the better, the, soonest
Idioms
sooner or later, eventually: Sooner or later his luck will run out.
Origin of soon
before 900; Middle English; Old English sōna; cognate with Old High German sān, Gothic suns
Can be confusedcurrently immediately momentarily now presently soon (see synonym study at immediately) (see usage note at presently)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for soon
British Dictionary definitions for soon
soon
/ (suːn) /
adverb
in or after a short time; in a little while; before longthe doctor will soon be here
as soon as at the very moment thatshe burst into tears as soon as she saw him
as soon…as used to indicate that the second alternative mentioned is not preferable to the firstI'd just as soon go by train as drive
Word Origin for soon
Old English sōna; related to Old High German sāno, Gothic suns
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for soon
soon
Old English sona "at once, immediately, directly, forthwith," from West Germanic *sæno (cf. Old Frisian son, Old Saxon sana, Old High German san, Gothic suns "soon"). Sense softened early Middle English to "within a short time" (cf. anon). American English. Sooner for "Oklahoma native" is 1930 (earlier "one who acts prematurely," 1889), from the 1889 opening to whites of what was then part of Indian Territory, when many would-be settlers sneaked onto public land and staked their claims "sooner" than the legal date and time.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with soon
soon
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.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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