sooner
adverb
the comparative form of soon.
sooner
1 American
[soo-ner]
/ ˈsu nər /
adverb
-
the comparative form of soon.
-
within a shorter period.
That day will come sooner than you think.
-
earlier.
I just wish I'd done it sooner.
-
in preference to something else; more willingly or readily; rather.
We might sooner trust the wind than trust our own frail resolutions.
-
more likely or easily.
It's a color you might sooner expect to find on a Lamborghini than on a BMW.
idioms
-
sooner or later, eventually.
Sooner or later his luck will run out.
-
would sooner, to prefer to; to prefer that.
I would sooner not go to their party.
I'd sooner you did the recording, as you're better at it than I am.
sooner
2
American
[soo-ner]
/ ˈsu nər /
noun
-
a person who settles on government land before it is legally opened to settlers in order to gain the choice of location.
-
a person who gains an unfair advantage by getting ahead of others.
Sooner
3
American
[soo-ner]
/ ˈsu nər /
noun
sooner
British
/ ˈsuːnə /
adverb
-
the comparative of soon
he came sooner than I thought
-
rather; in preference
I'd sooner die than give up
-
immediately after or when
no sooner had he got home than the rain stopped
no sooner said than done
-
eventually; inevitably
Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of sooner1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English soner(e), sonor(e), sonre; soon ( def. ) + -er 5 ( def. )
Origin of sooner2
Explanation
The adverb sooner means "more promptly" or "earlier." If you miss your bus, you'll regret not waking up sooner! When you're little, it feels like you'll never grow up, but that day comes sooner than you think. This meaning comes from soon and its Old English root, which means "immediately." In the U.S., Oklahomans are known as Sooners, a nickname that arose after settlers snuck onto and claimed land in Indian Territory sooner than they were legally allowed. Another meaning of sooner is "rather," as in "I'd sooner have a cat than a dog."
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.
See Examples For:
Increasing social and political backlash to data-center development could be leading Big Tech companies “to start building sooner to emphasize job creation,” Nowak noted.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
How do I balance the decision to draw Social Security sooner based on a potential cutback in future benefits versus leaving the biggest payment I can give my wife if I pass first?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
“If they had let us in sooner, we could have really helped save lives,” said Michael Saavedra, a strapping 6-foot-5-inch Miami Beach firefighter who is the team’s director.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
“The kind that make me want to have some kids of my own, which I should get on sooner rather than later.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
The sooner she was out of here and back at the Grand Dame, the happier she’d be.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
"Sooner or later, there will be no alternative."
From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026
Sooner or later, a new supreme leader will be selected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
It’s a real window of opportunity, said Eric Cooper, founder of Sooner Private Financial Council in Salem, N.H.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 22, 2025
Sooner or later, those feelings — and the economic facts of life — may catch up with the president.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2025
Bookman said, “1 know he wouldn’t. Sooner or later we’ll have to arrest him.”
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
