soon
advEtymology
From Middle English sone, from Old English sōna (“immediately, at once”), from Proto-West Germanic *sān(ō), from Proto-Germanic *sēna, *sēnô (“immediately, soon, then”), from *sa (demonstrative pronoun), from Proto-Indo-European *só (demonstrative pronoun). Cognate with Scots sone, sune, schone (“soon, quickly, at once”), North Frisian san (“immediately, at once”), dialectal Dutch zaan (“soon, before long”), Middle Low German sân (“right afterwards, soon”), Middle High German sān, son (“soon, then”), Old High German sār (“immediately, soon”). Compare also Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐍃 (suns, “immediately, soon”), from Proto-Germanic *suniz (“soon”).
Obsolete Immediately, instantly.
Within a short time; quickly.
- His wife is likely to come too after him, but we just do not know how soon after.
- I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
2 more examples
- Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly,[…], down the nave to the western door.[…]At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
- Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese[…]began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated. The poisoning was irreversible, and soon ended in psychosis and death.2014 April 21, “Subtle effects”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8884:
Dialectal Early.
- How is it that ye are come so soon to day?1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 2:18:
- “Been huntin’ fuh mah mule. Anybody seen ’im?” he asked. “Seen ’im soon dis mornin’ over behind de school-house,” Lum said. “’’Bout ten o’clock or so. He musta been out all night tuh be way over dere dat early.”1937, Zora Neale Hurston, chapter 6, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, University of Illinois Press, published 1978, page 87:
Readily; willingly; used with would, or some other word expressing will.
- I would as soon see a river winding through woods or in meadows, as when it is tossed up in so many whimsical figures at Versailles.1713, Joseph Addison, The Guardian, number 101:
- Synonyms
- anon, betimes, by and by, directly, dreckley, early, eftsoons, hastily, imminently, just now, momentarily, presently, promptly, pronto, quickly, rear, shortly, soon, tidely
- Antonyms
- behind time, eventually, immediately, on time, punctually, recently, someday, sometime
- Derived terms
28 terms
a fool and his money are soon parted, a little pot is soon hot, any time soon, anytime soon, as soon as, as soon as look at someone, as soon as possible, eaten bread is soon forgotten, eftsoons, get well soon, just as soon as, none too soon, not a minute too soon, not a moment too soon, oversoon, real soon now, you soon, soon enough, sooner or later, soonish, soonly, soonness, soon-to-be, soon to follow, soon-to-wed, Soon™, speak too soon, too soon- Related terms
- soon kueh, soon kway, prematurely
- Hypernyms
- subsequently
- Hyponyms
- sooner than later, ASAP, in a minute, PDQ, right away, toot sweet