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• sooner
  sooner

  adverb

  the comparative form of soon.
• Sooner
  Sooner

  noun

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

sooner

¹ American  

[soo-ner] / ˈsu nər /

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.

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idioms

1. sooner or later, eventually.

   Sooner or later his luck will run out.

2. 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

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.

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Sooner ³ American  

[soo-ner] / ˈsu nər /

noun

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

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sooner British  

/ 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. immediately after or when

   no sooner had he got home than the rain stopped

   no sooner said than done

4. eventually; inevitably

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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

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

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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

See Examples For:

sooner Sooner

"With respect to cancer, this will enable GP practices to go from gatekeepers to case-finders and will ensure cases like Beth's are dealt with sooner and not readily dismissed."

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

But evidence is piling up, and, if you’re immunocompromised like me, there’s no downside to getting it sooner than later.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

"We hope to test whether this might be effective by conducting a clinical trial -- which could potentially bring a new treatment option to patients much sooner than would have been expected."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

“But it could come sooner than most institutions are prepared for.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

No sooner had she asked the question than she regretted it.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Sooner or later investors will demand returns, and there will be losers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Sooner or later, all of his projects circle around to his concern that he’s simply wired to be unpleasant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Sooner rather than later this executive will have to circle back to big issues that can't be ducked forever.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Sooner or later, that kind of selloff is likely to happen again.

From Barron's ● Dec. 16, 2025

Sooner or later we’re going to be a cinder anyway, he implies, so why worry about a few cows more or less?

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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Related Words

• ahead
• back
• previously
• since

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