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. immediately after or when

   no sooner had he got home than the rain stopped

   no sooner said than done

4. 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.

   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

Conservative Andrew Boff, chair of the planning and regeneration committee for the London Assembly, condemned the mayor for not lowering the targets sooner.

Read more on BBC

Asked "when do you need it done", Earl replied: "The sooner the better. Asap really."

Read more on BBC

Strategic acquisitions of companies in the quantum networking space like Lightsync will help the company realize its goal of building bigger systems, and sooner.

Read more on Barron's

States have to take action to issue November benefits before the month ends, so the shutdown would have to end sooner than Nov. 1 for the benefits to be available in time.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That raises questions about whether the Palace should have acted sooner in responding to events involving Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein that happened many years ago.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ahead 
• back 
• previously 
• since 

When To Use

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.