Synonyms for early
ˈɜr liear·ly

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. earlyadjective

   Synonyms:
   prematurely, premature, first

   Antonyms:
   late, tardily

2. earlyadjective

   At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.

   We finished the project an hour sooner than scheduled, so we left early.

   Synonyms:
   first, premature, prematurely

   Antonyms:
   late, tardily

3. earlyadjective

   Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on-time.

   Synonyms:
   first, premature

   Antonyms:
   late

4. earlyadjective

   Near the start or beginning.

   Synonyms:
   premature, first

   Antonyms:
   late

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. early

   Synonyms:
   soon, betimes, forward, shortly, quickly, ere long, anon, matutinal, beforehand

   Antonyms:
   late, tardily, backward, vespertinal, belated

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. earlyadjective

   at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

   "early morning"; "an early warning"; "early diagnosis"; "an early death"; "took early retirement"; "an early spring"; "early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties"

   Synonyms:
   former(a), early(a), other(a)

   Antonyms:
   New, latish, present(a), late, future, advanced(a), ripe, after-hours, Modern, advanced, posthumous, mid(a), past, intervening, old, middle, later(a), tardive, tardily, belatedly

2. earlyadjective

   being or occurring at an early stage of development

   "in an early stage"; "early forms of life"; "early man"; "an early computer"

   Synonyms:
   former(a), early(a), other(a)

   Antonyms:
   past, present(a), middle, New, mid(a), posthumous, advanced(a), late, future, tardive, ripe, latish, advanced, Modern, intervening, later(a), old, after-hours, belatedly, tardily

3. early(a), former(a), other(a)adjective

   belonging to the distant past

   "the early inhabitants of Europe"; "former generations"; "in other times"

   Antonyms:
   ripe, advanced, future, advanced(a), intervening, present(a), late, mid(a), middle, posthumous, old, New, latish, Modern, later(a), past, tardive, after-hours, tardily, belatedly

4. earlyadjective

   very young

   "at an early age"

   Synonyms:
   former(a), early(a), other(a)

   Antonyms:
   middle, New, after-hours, ripe, latish, mid(a), past, old, advanced(a), tardive, late, advanced, present(a), Modern, future, intervening, later(a), posthumous, belatedly, tardily

5. earlyadjective

   of an early stage in the development of a language or literature

   "the Early Hebrew alphabetical script is that used mainly from the 11th to the 6th centuries B.C."; "Early Modern English is represented in documents printed from 1476 to 1700"

   Synonyms:
   former(a), early(a), other(a)

   Antonyms:
   advanced, posthumous, mid(a), New, old, present(a), late, latish, advanced(a), Modern, future, ripe, middle, tardive, after-hours, intervening, later(a), past, tardily, belatedly

6. earlyadverb

   expected in the near future

   "look for an early end to the negotiations"

   Synonyms:
   former(a), early(a), other(a)

   Antonyms:
   middle, later(a), old, advanced(a), late, present(a), latish, mid(a), tardive, after-hours, New, past, posthumous, intervening, advanced, ripe, future, Modern, belatedly, tardily

7. early on, earlyadverb

   during an early stage

   "early on in her career"

   Synonyms:
   betimes, early on, too soon, ahead of time

   Antonyms:
   later(a), old, late, present(a), after-hours, future, New, ripe, latish, middle, mid(a), advanced, Modern, advanced(a), past, posthumous, intervening, tardive, tardily, belatedly

8. early, ahead of time, too soonadverb

   before the usual time or the time expected

   "she graduated early"; "the house was completed ahead of time"

   Synonyms:
   betimes, early on, ahead of time, too soon

   Antonyms:
   New, future, Modern, later(a), tardive, middle, advanced(a), mid(a), present(a), advanced, late, ripe, past, latish, after-hours, old, posthumous, intervening, tardily, belatedly

9. early, betimesadverb

   in good time

   "he awoke betimes that morning"

   Synonyms:
   betimes, early on, ahead of time, too soon

   Antonyms:
   New, later(a), mid(a), advanced, latish, past, middle, intervening, Modern, ripe, late, present(a), old, posthumous, after-hours, advanced(a), future, tardive, belatedly, tardily

Matched Categories

1. • Linguistics

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. earlyadjective

   Synonyms:
   timely, seasonable, in season, not late

2. earlyadjective

   Synonyms:
   forward, premature

3. earlyadjective

   Synonyms:
   at dawn, at day-break, at the opening of day

4. earlyadjective

   Synonyms:
   soon, betimes, seasonably, in good season, in good time

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. earlyadjective

   Synonyms:
   seasonable, timely, forehanded, premature

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "early":

   beginning, earlier, soon, sooner, premature, first, rapid, precocious, principles, initial, start, prompt, quickly, rapidly, prematurely, quick, speedy, commencement, onset, advance, korai, timely, fast, promptly, preliminary, dawn, anticipated, swift, young, expeditious, expeditiously, initially

Suggested Resources

1. Early

   Soon vs Early -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Soon and Early.

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How to use early in a sentence?

1. Bernard Mandeville:

   The multitude will hardly believe the excessive force of education, and in the difference of modesty between men and women, ascribe that to nature, which is altogether owing to early instruction: Miss is scarce three years old, but she's spoke to every day to hide her leg, and rebuked in good earnest if she shows it; whilst little Master at the same age is bid to take up his coats, and piss like a man.

2. Anthony Trollope:

   Success is the necessary misfortune of life, but it is only to the very unfortunate that it comes early.

3. David Sandberg:

   Being different in some way doesn't necessarily hurt you, but it is not an advantage, and so one has to know something about the factors that make a child more vulnerable for being rejected or neglected by peers. And those would be things that in a gradual, developmentally appropriate way that I would tell some families. But I would sort of telegraph that early on. If I have any value at all to the family, it's engaging them in a discussion that continues over time, as the child gets older. And then, over time, engaging the child in these conversations.

4. Dame Julie Andrews:

   My first memoir, 'Home,' was about my childhood, early training and formative years in the Theater, i am so pleased that my good friends at the Hachette Book Group have encouraged me to share the next phase of my life, beginning with my arrival in Hollywood and the wonderful movies and television programs I was asked to be a part of.

5. Rafael Benitez:

   We conceded the goals early, but then the team reacted, i am not going to judge the decisions of the referee, but from the sending-off the team did what it had to do, try to play well and score goals.