Drought stress is a great challenge to agricultural production worldwide. Seed priming has the potential to improve tolerance in crops against water deficit. This study, consisting of two seprate experiments was conducted to evaluate the role of various seed priming in mitigating the adverse effect of water deficit on germination, biochemical and yield parameters of two soybean cultivars viz. DPX, drought tolerant, and Wiliams, drought sensitive. Seeds either subjected to hormonal priming, osmopriming, halopriming and hydropriming; dry seed being as control. Crops were subjected to 2 and 3 different moisture regimes in growth chamber and field conditions, respectively. Under water deficit, the germination and field performance of tested soybean cultivars was hampered. Seed priming treatments improved the physiological, biochemical, yield and yield parameters under both the optimal and water deficit. Hydropriming for 12 h and hormonal priming with gibberlic acid for 14 h with cultivar DPX was best in this regard. In conclusion, hydropriming, being simple, economical and safe, is recommended to improve germination and seed yield of soybean under both optimum as well as limited water conditions.