Soon
Pronunciation
- enPR: soÍžon, IPA: /suËn/
- Rhymes: -uËn
Origin
From Middle English soone, sone, from Old English sÅna ("immediately, at once"), from Proto-Germanic *sÄ“na, *sÄ“nô ("immediately, soon, then"), from Proto-Germanic *sa, from Proto-Indo-European *só. Cognate with Scots sone, sune, schone ("soon, quickly, at once"), North Frisian san ("immediately, at once"), Dutch dialectal zaan ("soon, before long"), Middle Low German sÄn ("right afterwards, soon"), Middle High German sÄn, son ("soon, then"), Old High German sÄr ("immediately, soon"). Compare also Gothic ðƒðŒ¿ðŒ½ðƒ (suns, "immediately, soon"), from Proto-Germanic *suniz ("soon").
Full definition of soon
Adjective
soon
- Occurring within a short time, or quickly.
- 1927, F. E. Penny, Pulling the Strings Chapter 4, Soon after the arrival of Mrs. Campbell, dinner was announced by Abboye. He came into the drawing room resplendent in his gold-and-white turban. … His cummerbund matched the turban in gold lines.
Adverb
soon
- (obsolete) Immediately, instantly.
- Within a short time; quickly.
- 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, 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.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 5, 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.
- 2014-04-21, Subtle effects, 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.
- Early.
- Bible, Exodus ii. 18How is it that ye are come so soon to-day?
- Readily; willingly; used with would, or some other word expressing will.
- Joseph Addison (1672-1719)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.