So

So

Pronunciation: /səʊ/

adverb

1 [as submodifier] To such a great extent:
the words tumbled out so fast that I could barely hear them
don’t look so worried
I’m not so foolish as to say that
• Extremely; very much (used for emphasis):
she looked so pretty
I do love it so
• informal Used to emphasize a clause or negative statement:
that’s so not fair
you are so going to regret this
• informal Used with a gesture to indicate size:
the bird was about so long

2 [as submodifier] [with negative] To the same extent (used in comparisons):
he isn’t so bad as you’d think
help without which he would not have done so well

3Referring back to something previously mentioned:.
• That is the case:
‘Has somebody called an ambulance?’ ‘I believe so’
if she notices, she never says so
• The truth:
I hear that you’re a writer—is that so?
• Similarly; and also:
times have changed and so have I
• Expressing agreement:
‘There’s another one.’ ‘So there is.’
• Irish Used for emphasis in a formula added at the end of a statement:
your old man was the salt of the earth, so he was
• informal Used to emphatically contradict a negative statement:
it is so!

4In the way described or demonstrated; thus:
hold your arms so
so it was that he was still a bachelor

conjunction

1And for this reason; therefore:
it was still painful so I went to see a specialist
you know I’m telling the truth, so don’t interrupt
• (so that) With the result that:
it was overgrown with brambles, so that I had difficulty making any progress

2(so that) With the aim that; in order that:
they whisper to each other so that no one else can hear

3And then; as the next step:
and so to the final

4Introducing a question:
so, what did you do today?
• Introducing a question following on from what was said previously:
so what did he do about it?
• (also so what?) informal Why should that be considered significant?:
‘He came into the shop this morning.’ ‘So?’
so what if he failed?

5Introducing a statement which is followed by a defensive comment:
so I’m a policeman—what’s wrong with that?

6Introducing a concluding statement:
so that’s that

7In the same way; correspondingly:
just as bad money drives out good, so does bad art drive out the good
so: in phrases

and so on (or forth)

• And similar things; et cetera:
these savouries include cheeses, cold meats, and so on
just so much

• chiefly derogatory Emphasizing a large amount of something:
it’s just so much ideological cant
not so much —— as ——

• Not —— but rather ——:
the novel was not so much unfinished as unfinishable
only so much

• A limited amount:
there is only so much you can do to protect yourself
or so

• In order to do something:
she had put her hair up so as to look older
so be it

• An expression of acceptance or resignation.
so far

1informal Goodbye till we meet again.

2South African In the meanwhile. [translation of Afrikaans solank]
so long as

so many (or much)

• Indicating a particular but unspecified quantity:
so many hours at such-and-such a speed
so much as

• [with negative] Even:
he sat down without so much as a word to anyone
so much for

1Indicating that one has finished talking about something:
So much for the melodic line. We now turn our attention to the accompaniment

2Suggesting that something has not been successful or useful:
so much for that idea!
so much so that

• To such an extent that:
I was fascinated by the company, so much so that I wrote a book about it
so to speak (or say)

• Used to highlight the fact that one is describing something in an unusual or metaphorical way:
delving into the body’s secrets, I looked death in the face, so to speak