soon

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled sooin

US /sun/ UK /suːn/ See IPA manual

Freq #352

Meanings

1

adv
In a short time from now.

The doctor will soon be here.
2

adv
Early; before the expected time.

How is it that you have come so soon today?
3

adv
Willingly; just as happily (used with would).

I would just as soon stay home tonight.

Word forms

The same word in different grammatical forms.

Adverb

Base form: soon
We will arrive soon.
Comparative: sooner
We arrived sooner than expected.
Superlative: soonest
Which train will get us there soonest?

Use the comparative to compare two things or actions. Use the superlative for the highest or lowest degree in a group.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · in a short time from now. before longpresently shortly

More anon betimes directlydreckleyearly eftsoons hastily imminently momentarily promptly pronto

Opposites

eventually immediately punctually recently someday sometime

Word family

Derived forms eftsoonsoversoonsoon-to-besoon-to-wedsoonishsoonlysoonness

Related forms prematurely

Appears in

Idioms (1)

See all

no sooner said than done
a request or suggestion was carried out immediately

Proverbs (9)

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Simplified etymology

Soon is an Old English word that originally meant “immediately” or “without delay.” Its force gradually weakened to the modern sense of “in a short time”; its use meaning “rather,” as in “I would as soon,” dates from the late 16th century.

Etymology

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”…

sone Middle English sōna Old English *sān(ō) Proto-West Germanic *sēna Proto-Germanic *só Proto-Indo-European *suniz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# soon

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /sun/
**IPA (UK):** /suːn/
**Frequency rank:** 352

## Meanings
1. In a short time from now.
2. Early; before the expected time.
3. Willingly; just as happily (used with would).

## Examples
- The doctor will soon be here.
- How is it that you have come so soon today?
- I would just as soon stay home tonight.

## Synonyms
- anon
- betimes
- directly
- dreckley
- early
- eftsoons
- hastily
- imminently
- momentarily
- presently
- promptly
- pronto

## Antonyms
- eventually
- immediately
- punctually
- recently
- someday
- sometime

## Derived Forms
- eftsoons
- oversoon
- soon-to-be
- soon-to-wed
- soonish
- soonly
- soonness

## Related Forms
- prematurely

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sone
- Root: sōna
- Root: *sān(ō)
- Root: *sēna
- Root: *só
- Root: *suniz

## Etymology
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”…

## AI Etymology
Soon is 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”). Important forms in the word's history include Middle English sone, Old English sōna, Proto-West Germanic *sān(ō), Proto-Germanic *sēna, Proto-Indo-European *só, Proto-Germanic *suniz. In current use it includes senses such as In a short time from now and Early; before the expected time.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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