early — OAT · Shobdo

early

adjective

1 early copies of the book are now ready:

advance, forward, prior;

initial, preliminary, first, primary;

pilot, test, trial.

▷antonyms late.

2 an early death:

untimely, premature;

too soon, too early, before time;

archaic unseasonable.

3 bronze was used widely by early man:

primitive, ancient, prehistoric, antediluvian, primeval, primordial;

of long ago;

literary of yore;

rare primigenial, pristine.

▷antonyms modern.

4 he produced an early official statement:

prompt, timely, quick, speedy, rapid, fast, without delay, expeditious;

archaic rathe.

▷antonyms overdue.

adverb

1 Rachel has to get up early:

early in the day, in the early morning;

at dawn, at daybreak, at cockcrow, with the lark;

British, informal at stupid o'clock.

▷antonyms late.

2 they hoped to leave school early:

before the usual time, before the appointed time;

prematurely, too soon;

ahead of time, ahead of schedule, in good time;

literary betimes.