From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsoso1 /səʊ $ soʊ/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb 1 VERY a) [+adj/adverb] used to emphasize how great a feeling or quality is, or how large an amount is It was so embarrassing! Why didn’t you call? We were so worried. I love her so much.ever so British English They’re being ever so quiet. b) [+adj/adverb] as great, nice, many etc as this Why are you being so horrible to me? I’ve never seen so many people here before! How had they achieved it in so short a time? c) [+adj/adverb] used when emphasizing the degree or amount of something by saying what the result isso ... (that) He was so weak that he could hardly stand up. There was so much smoke that they couldn’t see across the hallway. Everything happened so quickly I hadn’t time to think.so ... as to be The particles are so small as to be almost invisible. d) spoken old-fashioned used before or after a verb to emphasize that someone does something a lot or to a great degree I wish you wouldn’t fuss so (=as much as you do). It makes me nervous. He does so enjoy reading your letters. e) spoken informal used before a noun phrase to emphasize what you are saying – used especially by young people He is just so not the right person for her.RegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use extremely rather than so to emphasize an adjective or adverb, because it sounds more formal:These schools are extremely difficult to get into.Grammar• You use such (a) before an adjective and noun: There is not such a big difference.How can such awful things happen?• Don’t use ‘so’ before an adjective and noun. Don’t say: a so big difference | so awful things2 → not so big/good/bad etc3 AND/ALSO[not used with negative verbs] used to add that what has just been said is also true about someone or something elseso do I/so is he/so would Peter etc Joe was a little upset, and so was I. He’s been ill, and so has his wife. As the demand rises, so do prices.4 REPEATused to refer back to an idea, action, quality, situation etc that has just been mentionedhope so/think so/say so etc ‘Will I need my umbrella?’ ‘I don’t think so.’ If you want to go home, just say so.be more so/less so/too much so The band is popular and likely to become more so. Jerry is very honest, perhaps too much so. The troops will not advance until ordered to do so. Did Luke sell them? And, if so, what happened to the money? ‘Has he lost a fortune?’ ‘So they say.’ ‘Look – I’ve even cleaned the windows.’ ‘So I see.’ Parents can withdraw their child from school if they so wish.5 → be so6 → ... or so7 spokenATTENTION used to get someone’s attention, especially in order to ask them a question So, how was school today?8 spokenUNDERSTAND used to check that you have understood something So this is just a copy? 9 ASK A QUESTION spoken used when asking a question about what has just been said ‘He’s going to Paris on business.’ ‘So when is he coming back?’10 → be not so much ... as ...11 → not/without so much as something12 → so long!13 → not so ... as ...14 → so much for somebody/something15 → only so many/much16 AMOUNT spoken used with a movement of your hand to show how big, high etc something or someone is Oh, he’s about so tall, with brown hair and eyes.17 FIND OUT spoken used to show that you have found something out about someone So! You’ve got a new girlfriend?18 → like so19 → and so on/forth20 literary or formal in the way that is described Dorothy and Sarah continued to write to each other, and so began a lifelong friendship.so ... that The furniture is so arranged that the interviewee and the interviewer are not physically separated by a desk.21 → and so22 → so she is/so there are etc23 → be just/exactly so24 → so be it25 spoken a) used to say that a person’s behaviour or action is typical of that person ‘He was about half an hour late.’ ‘That is just so Chris.’ b) used to say that something suits someone or is the type of thing they like You must buy that jacket – it’s so you! 26 → I do so/it is so etc27 spoken used to introduce the next part of a story you are telling someone So anyway, he goes in and his boots get stuck in the mud.28 → so? → so-so, → even so at even1(4), → so far at far1(7), → so far as I’m concerned at far1(14), → so far as something is concerned at far1(15), → so far as I know/I can remember/I can tell etc at far1(16), → as/so long as at long2(5), → so much the better at better3(4), → so to speak at speak(6)
Examples from the Corpus
so• What's so bad about getting a B in math?• How had it gotten so black out?• But you were not always so committed to this constitutional process.• That puppy is so cute!• It all happened so fast.• The drizzle was so fine that it amounted to fog and he had to drive slowly.• Something about his smarmy attitude makes me want to shake him so hard his collarbone breaks.• I start out slowly so I can take everything in.• If you have not sent in your payment yet, please do so immediately.• Not so, it was suggested.• You've been so kind. I hope I can repay you some day.• So, Lisa, how's the new job going?• It's too bad that so many kids come from broken homes these days.• With so many organizational changes, it is understandable that they are having problems.• Thank you so much!• Orange is just so not the right color for Kari.• The dresses were lovely, and the colours were so pretty.• I felt so sick yesterday.• Oh, he must be about so tall.• Dave felt comfortable at Mandy's, even more so than in his own home.• So this one's the original, and this one's the copy, right?• Finally, there is the secrecy and confidentiality which is so typical of public bureaucracies.• I never knew Rob could sing so well.so not• Thus we might expect the instrument not to be sufficiently sensitive for these conditions and so not for a growth room.• When he seized power in 1483 he did so not from outside the prevailing political structure but from its heart.• I was searching for birdies and eagles with Azinger going great guns, so not getting there was no good to me.• The money has already been agreed on, so not much room for controversy there.• The election was not settled until close to the inauguration, so not much time was available to plan the festivities.• She walks out so not, not the safest thing to do.• They do so not out of wounded vanity but because the scientific formulation has destroyed accustomed reinforcers.So they say• Later and later and later. So they say. so?so? (also so what?) spoken not polite used to tell someone that something does not matter So what if we’re a little late? ‘She might tell someone.’ ‘So? No one will believe her.’ → sososo2 ●●● S1 W3 conjunction 1 REASONused to say that someone does something because of the reason just stated I was feeling hungry, so I made myself a sandwich.► see thesaurus at thereforeRegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use therefore or consequently rather than so, because they sound more formal:She had previous experience, therefore she seemed the best candidate.2 → so (that)3 → so as to do something4 → (just) as ..., so ...Examples from the Corpus
so• So anyway, we decided to go to the mall.• I got hungry, so I made a sandwich.soso3 noun [singular] APMthe fifth note in a musical scale according to the sol-fa systemOrigin so1 Old English swa so3 (1800-1900) sol 