already

Adverb

Before or by now or the time in question.
prior to a specified or implied time
- "she has already graduated"

Adv

Prior to some specified time, either past, present, or future; by this time; previously.
So soon.
An intensifier used to emphasize impatience or express exasperation.
Indicates action completion (perfective aspect).
Marks a change in state (inchoative aspect).

Examples

Are you quitting already?
Be quiet already!
Enough already!
I don’t think he can take it already.
I was surprised that she hadn’t already told me the news.
I wish they'd finish already, so we can get going.
Much of what he said I knew already.
My opponent had already used both blank tiles by the third turn.
Overcook already, need to redo.
You frame the picture for me already anot?
Your grandmother angry already.
Your ice cream is melting already.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English alredy (“fully; already”), equivalent to al- (“all, completely”) + ready. Cognate with West Frisian alreeds (“already”), Dutch alreeds (“already”), Afrikaans alreeds (“already”), Middle Low German alreide, alreids ("already"; whence modern German Low German alreeds (“already”)), Danish allerede (“already”), Swedish allaredan (“already”), Norwegian Nynorsk allereie (“already”). More at all, ready.
The use as an intensifier in American English is a semantic loan from German schon and Yiddish שוין (shoyn).
In Singapore English, the use of already as a marker of action completion and change of state is analogous to Hokkien 了 (liáu), Teochew 了 (liao²) and Mandarin 了 (le). Compare Malay (su)dah and Cantonese 咗 (zo²), 喇 (laa³).

Synonyms

liao

Scrabble Score: 11

already: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
already: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
already: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

already: valid Words With Friends Word