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sooner

/ˈsunər/
/ˈsunə/
IPA guide

Other forms: sooners

The adverb sooner means "more promptly" or "earlier." If you miss your bus, you'll regret not waking up sooner!

When you're little, it feels like you'll never grow up, but that day comes sooner than you think. This meaning comes from soon and its Old English root, which means "immediately." In the U.S., Oklahomans are known as Sooners, a nickname that arose after settlers snuck onto and claimed land in Indian Territory sooner than they were legally allowed. Another meaning of sooner is "rather," as in "I'd sooner have a cat than a dog."

Definitions of sooner
  1. adverb
    comparatives of `soon' or `early'
    “Come a little sooner, if you can”
    synonyms: earlier
  2. adverb
    more readily or willingly
    “I'd sooner die than give up”
    synonyms: preferably, rather
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