already

already — adverb

1. used when something has happened or become true by the time you mean.

1.adverbA2
Definition

used when something has happened or become true by the time you mean.

Example

By eight o'clock, Mina had already packed both suitcases.

had already + past participle

The cafe was already full when we reached the station.

be already + adjective

Common collocations
  • already know
  • already finished
  • already full
  • already eaten
Synonyms
  • previously

    more formal and common in writing

  • before

    broader and often needs another time phrase or clause

  • by then

    points to a specific later time in a story

  • earlier

    compares one time with another rather than marking completion

Antonyms
  • not yet

    shows that something has still not happened by that time

  • later

    places the event after the time being discussed

Grammar Patterns

already + main verb

be already + adjective or noun

had already + past participle

Usage Note

Usually comes before the main verb, but after 'be': 'I already know' and 'The room is already full.' Distinguish from sense 2 SO SOON, which adds surprise rather than simple timing.

Common Mistakes

I have already finished it yesterday.
I finished it yesterday.' / 'I have already finished it.
with 'yesterday', use the past simple, not the present perfect.
I already am tired.
I am already tired.
with the verb 'be', 'already' usually comes after the verb.

2. used when something happens so early that the speaker reacts with surprise, plea

2.adverbB1
Definition

used when something happens so early that the speaker reacts with surprise, pleasure, or annoyance.

Example

You're leaving already? The movie started only twenty minutes ago.

already? for surprise about early timing

Lena finished her science project already, and school starts tomorrow.

Common collocations
  • leaving already?
  • ready already?
  • finished already?
  • walking already
Synonyms
  • so soon

    a direct alternative that also shows surprise

  • this soon

    often used in questions about unexpectedly early timing

  • that fast

    more spoken and focuses slightly more on speed

Grammar Patterns

verb + already?

be + adjective + already?

already, with surprised tone

Usage Note

Common in questions and comments where the speaker stresses 'already'. Distinguish from sense 1 BY THEN, which only states that something was true before a time point.

Common Mistakes

The train leaves already at nine every day.
The train leaves at nine every day.' / 'The train leaves as early as nine.
this sense is for a surprising early event, not a regular timetable.
Idioms

enough already

idiom

Used to express that you are tired of something and want it to end.

Mia shouted, 'Enough already! Stop teasing your brother.'

Can we please change the channel? Enough already with this show.

already — idiom

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Already' shows that something was true or finished by a certain time: 'We had already eaten by six.' 'Previously' is more formal and appears more often in writing, reports, or careful explanation. 'Before' is broader and may simply show earlier time, usually with another clause or phrase, as in 'I met her before lunch.' 'By then' points to a later reference point inside a story, not directly to now. So 'I already know' sounds natural in daily speech, while 'I previously knew' sounds distant. You can say 'By then, the shop had closed,' but 'already' is better when the main idea is completed state by that time.

already ↗before ↗previously ↗by then

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Already' began as the Middle English phrase 'all ready', meaning something like 'completely prepared' or 'by this time'. Over time, English joined the two words into one adverb. In modern English, the word is mainly used to talk about time or to show surprise that something happened earlier than expected.