sooner

¹

[ soo-ner ]

adverb

1. the comparative form of soon.
2. within a shorter period:

   That day will come sooner than you think.

3. earlier:

   I just wish I'd done it sooner.

4. in preference to something else; more willingly or readily; rather:

   We might sooner trust the wind than trust our own frail resolutions.

5. more likely or easily:

   It's a color you might sooner expect to find on a Lamborghini than on a BMW.

sooner

²

[ soo-ner ]

noun

1. a person who settles on government land before it is legally opened to settlers in order to gain the choice of location.
2. a person who gains an unfair advantage by getting ahead of others.

Sooner

³

[ soo-ner ]

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Oklahoma the Sooner State (used as a nickname).

sooner

/ ˈsuːnə /

adverb

1. the comparative of soon

   he came sooner than I thought

2. rather; in preference

   I'd sooner die than give up

3. no sooner…than
   immediately after or when

   no sooner said than done

   no sooner had he got home than the rain stopped

4. sooner or later
   eventually; inevitably

Usage

When is sometimes used instead of than after no sooner, but this use is generally regarded as incorrect: no sooner had he arrived than (not when ) the telephone rang

Word History and Origins

Origin of sooner¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English soner(e), sonor(e), sonre; soon ( def ) + -er ⁵( def )

Origin of sooner²

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; soon + -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. sooner or later, eventually:

   Sooner or later his luck will run out.

2. would sooner, to prefer to; to prefer that: Compare rather ( def 9 ).

   I would sooner not go to their party.

   I'd sooner you did the recording, as you're better at it than I am.

Example Sentences

No sooner had he found his bunk than the Curtiss put to sea, joining a supply convoy to Wake Island, then to Midway.

From Los Angeles Times

So then I met up with my close friends and collaborators, told them about the two treatments and consulted on them on which one should start sooner.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, experts think AI models will catch up to the new benchmark sooner or later—whether mathematicians like it or not.

From Science Magazine

He also described an "emotional meeting" with one of those doctors after the police investigation began where he had apologised for not intervening sooner.

From BBC

“It becomes an arms race to offer the big sales sooner,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• earlier

About This Word

What else does Sooner mean?

A Sooner is a person who lives in the state of Oklahoma.

It is also a nickname for students and athletes at the University of Oklahoma.

Where does Sooner come from?

Sooner means “a person who settles on government land before it is legally opened to settlers in order to gain the choice of location.” It comes from a section of the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889, which became known as the “sooner clause” and was applied to residents of modern-day Oklahoma who moved to the state before the time designated by the federal government.

The name stuck, and today it’s a demonym for all people who live in Oklahoma, which is (not surprisingly) known as the Sooner State.

The name is also used to describe the athletes at the University of Oklahoma. The school’s athletics mascot is the Sooner Schooner, a Conestoga wagon which is drawn at sporting events by two horses named Boomer and (you guessed it) Sooner.

How is Sooner used in real life?

The way Sooner is used depends on who is using it. Residents of the state may describe themselves as proud Sooners, while people outside the state may describe folks who live in Oklahoma as such.

University of Oklahoma athletes, students, and fans use the hashtags “#Sooners” and “#SoonerNation” on social media in reference to the school and its activities.

Although Oklahoma state residents who attend Oklahoma State University are technically Sooners because of where they live, they tend to avoid using the name of their sports rival.

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.