51Թ

Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

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

/ ˈːə /

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

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
Discover More

51Թ 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
Discover More

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.

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He told the BBC he had pleaded guilty because he believed the sooner the trial was over the sooner he could be exchanged back to Russia.

From

Opponents said the cash fell short of what Wales needed and criticised a ten-year timeline for the scheme - Labour sources said most of the cash would be spent much sooner.

From

“Much sooner: less dust and powder, fewer rocks and pipes, enough days given back that might have added up to years.”

From

Ms Durran also found there were missed opportunities by the council to provide mental health support sooner.

From

No sooner does Weiss climb a bluff and whip out his binoculars than he is surrounded by “four goons” with Glocks tucked into their shorts.

From

Advertisement

Related 51Թs

Discover More

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.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


soonsooner or later