thrice
Americanadverb
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three times, as in succession; on three occasions or in three ways.
-
in threefold quantity or degree.
-
very; extremely.
adverb
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three times
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in threefold degree
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archaic greatly
Etymology
Origin of thrice
1150–1200; Middle English thries, equivalent to obsolete thrie thrice ( Old English thrīga ) + -s -s 1
Explanation
Thrice is an old-fashioned way to talk about doing something three times. You could say, "I swung the bat at the piñata thrice." You're most likely to come across the adverb thrice in a book, since it's a stiff, formal way to say "three times." Just for fun, you could use it in a note to your cat sitter: "Please feed Fluffy thrice daily," to scold your younger brother: "I've asked you thrice not to throw that ball in the house," or to brag about your travels: "I've thrice been to Madagascar."
Vocabulary lists containing thrice
Excerpt from "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar"
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"Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Thrice jabbed, 33 and single, with a schedule determined in large part by a housemate who is 8 months old.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2022
Thrice Upon a Time, delivers a real capstone to the series, as well as a new argument for how to watch the series as a whole.
From Slate • Aug. 23, 2021
Hideaki Anno’s “Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon a Time,” which begins streaming on Amazon Prime on Aug. 13, is the film that anime fans have awaited for 25 years.
From New York Times • Aug. 6, 2021
The company hasn’t said when those films will be available on its service, but hopefully in time to catch up for Thrice Upon a Time’s August release.
From The Verge • Jul. 1, 2021
Thrice they had tried to take him there, and thrice they had failed.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
