Word forms: comparative sooner, superlative soonest
1. adverb [ADVERB with verb]
If something is going to happen soon, it will happen after a short time. If something happened soon after a particular time or event, it happened a short time after it.
You'll be hearing from us very soon.
This chance has come sooner than I expected.
You'll find out soon enough.
The plane was returning to the airport soon after takeoff when it burst into flames.
Soon afterwards he left his job.
Synonyms: before long, shortly, in the near future, in a minute More Synonyms of soon
2.
See as soon as
3.
See would just as soon/'d just as soon
soon in British English
(suːn)
adverb
1.
in or after a short time; in a little while; before long
the doctor will soon be here
2. as soon as
3. as soon…as
Word origin
Old English sōna; related to Old High German sāno, Gothic suns
soon in American English
(sun)
adverb
1.
in a short time (after a time specified or understood); shortly; before long
will soon be there
2.
promptly; quickly
as soon as possible
3.
ahead of time; early
we left too soon
4.
readily; willingly
I would as soon go as stay
5. Obsolete
at once; immediately
Idioms:
had sooner
sooner or later
Word origin
ME sone < OE sona, at once, akin to OHG sān, Goth suns
More idioms containing
soon
a fool and his money are soon parted
Examples of 'soon' in a sentence
soon
They also promised to disrupt the general election soon afterwards.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Digby came racing past soon after they had stopped.
Len Deighton Bomber
Is she going to be on anything else soon?
The Sun (2007)
You will soon find a guy who can give you the love you deserve.
The Sun (2010)
Whether they are mentally tough enough will soon become clearer.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
And there was something similar soon afterwards.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
So this is not ending any time soon.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We are obviously good friends and we are excited about a project that could happen pretty soon.
The Sun (2012)
The twins are likely to be adopted together if their mum fails to come forward soon.
The Sun (2006)
The relationship went the same way soon afterwards.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But she was pronounced dead soon after arriving at hospital.
The Sun (2008)
We will find out soon enough whether it is misplaced.
The Sun (2011)
None of these factors are likely to go away any time soon.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Nobody expected it to happen quite so soon.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Surely he will come soon and save us!
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
And he was declared dead in hospital soon afterwards.
The Sun (2011)
Why was he returning to the game so soon after implying that he might not play again this year?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It will soon be sitting naturally.
Jan Fennell, Foreword by Monty Roberts THE DOG LISTENER: Learning the Language of your Best Friend (2002)
Yet soon something must surely give.
The Sun (2016)
Pretty soon we'll know who that somebody else is.
Hamilton, Ian Writers in Hollywood, 1915-51 (1990)
And from the look of things the trophy isn't going anywhere else soon.
The Sun (2013)
It will soon add up to a good-sized area ready to sow and plant next spring.
The Sun (2014)
She is moving into a loft soon and says it will be clean, tidy, uncluttered.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They aren't that superstitious, but they do have to watch what they say as soon as they enter a school.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
soon
British English: soon /suːn/ ADVERB
If something is going to happen soon, it will happen after a short time.
You'll be hearing from us very soon.
American English: soon
Arabic: قَرِيباً
Brazilian Portuguese: em breve
Chinese: 很快
Croatian: uskoro
Czech: brzy
Danish: snart
Dutch: spoedig
European Spanish: dentro de poco
Finnish: pian
French: bientôt
German: bald
Greek: σύντομα
Italian: presto
Japanese: まもなく
Korean: 곧
Norwegian: snart
Polish: niedługo
European Portuguese: em breve
Romanian: curând
Russian: скоро
Latin American Spanish: dentro de poco
Swedish: snart
Thai: ไม่นาน
Turkish: kısa zamanda
Ukrainian: скоро
Vietnamese: sớm
Chinese translation of 'soon'
soon
(suːn)
adv
(= in a short time) 不久 (bùjiǔ)
⇒ It will soon be Christmas.不久圣诞节就要到了。 (Bùjiǔ Shèngdàn Jié jiù yào dào le.)
(= a short time later) 很快 (hěn kuài)
⇒ I soon forgot about our conversation.我很快就忘了我们的谈话内容。 (Wǒ hěn kuài jiù wàngle wǒmen de tánhuà nèiróng.)
(= early) 早 (zǎo)
⇒ It's too soon to talk about leaving.谈离开的事还太早。 (Tán líkāi de shì hái tài zǎo.)