Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adverb In the near future; shortly.
- adverb Just prior to something; shortly.
- adverb Without hesitation; promptly or speedily.
- adverb With willingness; readily.
- adverb Archaic Before the usual or appointed time; early.
- adverb Obsolete Immediately.
- idiom (no sooner … than) As soon as.
- idiom (sooner or later) At some time; eventually.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Early; speedy; quick.
- At once; forthwith; immediately.
- In a short time; at an early date or an early moment; before long; shortly; presently: as, winter will soon be here; I hope to see you soon.
- Early; before the time specified is much advanced: when the time, event, or the like has but just arrived: as, soon in the morning; soon at night (that is, early in the evening, or as soon as night sets in); soon at five o′ clock (that is, as soon as the hour of five arrives): an old locution still in use in the southern United States.
- Early; before the usual, proper, set, or expected time.
- Quickly; speedily; easily.
- Readily; willingly; gladly: in this sense generally accompanied by would or some other word expressing will, and often in the comparative sooner, ‘rather.’
- Synonyms and
- Betimes, etc. (see
early ), promptly, quickly. - Lief.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective obsolete Speedy; quick.
- adverb In a short time; shortly after any time specified or supposed.
- adverb Without the usual delay; before any time supposed; early.
- adverb Promptly; quickly; easily.
- adverb Readily; willingly; -- in this sense used with
would , or some other word expressingwill . - adverb immediately at or after another event.
- adverb [Obs.] as soon as; or, as soon as the time referred to arrives.
- adverb at some uncertain time in the future.
- adverb [Obs.] as soon as any; among the earliest; too soon.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Occurring within a short time, or quickly
- adverb obsolete Immediately, instantly
- adverb Within a short time;
quickly - adverb
early
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adverb in the near future
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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That they will soon become a kind of separate and independant people; who will set up for themselves, -- will _soon_ have manufactures of their own, -- will _neither_ take supplies from the mother country, nor the provinces at _the back_ of which they are settled: -- That being at such a distance from the seat of _government_, from _courts_,
Report of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations on the Petition of the Honourable Thomas Walpole, Benjamin Franklin, John Sargent, and Samuel Wharton, Esquires, and their Associates 1772 Great Britain. Board of Trade
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"Come along, as soon as you wish -- but don't come _too soon_."
In Her Own Right John Reed Scott
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Your answer is, in fact, an identical proposition; for, when you say, "_As soon as_ profits are absorbed," I retort, Ay, no doubt "_as soon_" as they are; but when will that be?
Memorials and Other Papers — Complete Thomas De Quincey 1822
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Your answer is, in fact, an identical proposition; for, when you say, "_As soon as_ profits are absorbed," I retort, Ay, no doubt "_as soon_" as they are; but when will that be?
Memorials and Other Papers — Volume 2 Thomas De Quincey 1822
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St. Thomas having maintained, that we are obliged to love God as soon as we attain the use of reason, the Jesuit Sirmond answered him, _that is very soon_.
Good Sense Paul Henri Thiry Holbach 1756
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He’ll be here soon, I fancy. text reads _soon, I, fancy.
Amphitryo, Asinaria, Aulularia, Bacchides, Captivi Amphitryon, The Comedy of Asses, The Pot of Gold, The Two Bacchises, The Captives Titus Maccius Plautus 1919
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Never thought of _death_, or even looked upon it, for mother told us there was no need of harrowing up our feelings -- it would come soon enough, she said; and to me, who hoped to live so long, it has come _too soon_ -- all too soon; "and the hot tears rained through the transparent fingers, clasped so convulsively over her face.
Dora Deane Mary Jane Holmes 1866
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Shostakovich himself never saw the film, so it was presumably under orders from the Stalin regime that his name soon appeared on a copyright infringement suit filed in this country.
Lewis Hyde: Hold the Line: Stop Copyright Rendition! Lewis Hyde 2011
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In sixth grade I earned the nickname "Medusa" because of my hair, and the nickname soon caught on -- that and "Daisy Mae" because of my overalls.
Nikki Luongo: 'You Seem So Normal!' Nikki Luongo 2011
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In sixth grade I earned the nickname "Medusa" because of my hair, and the nickname soon caught on -- that and "Daisy Mae" because of my overalls.
Nikki Luongo: 'You Seem So Normal!' Nikki Luongo 2011
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