again
- once more; another time; anew; in addition: Will you spell your name again, please?
- in an additional case or instance; moreover; besides; furthermore.
- on the other hand: It might happen, and again it might not.
- back; in return; in reply: to answer again.
- to the same place or person: to return again.
- again and again, with frequent repetition; often: They went over the same arguments again and again.
- as much again, twice as much: She earns as much again as I do.
Origin of again
Pronunciation note
again
- another or second time; once more; anewhe had to start again
- once more in a previously experienced or encountered place, state, or conditionhe is ill again; he came back again
- in addition to the original amount, quantity, etc (esp in the phrases as much again; half as much again)
- (sentence modifier) on the other handhe might come and then again he might not
- besides; alsoshe is beautiful and, again, intelligent
- archaic in reply; backhe answered again to the questioning voice
- again and again continuously; repeatedly
- (used with a negative) Caribbean any more; any longerI don't eat pumpkin again
- moreover; furthermoreagain, it could be said that he is not dead
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for again and again
again
adv.
late Old English agan, from earlier ongean "toward, opposite, against, in exchange for," from on "on" (see on) + -gegn "against, toward," compounded for a sense of "lined up facing, opposite," and "in the opposite direction, returning." For -gegn, cf. Old Norse gegn "straight, direct;" Danish igen "against;" Old Frisian jen, Old High German gegin, German gegen "against, toward," entgegen "against, in opposition to."
In Old English, eft was the main word for "again" (see eftsoons), but this often was strengthened by ongean, which became the principal word by 13c. Norse influence is responsible for the hard -g-. Differentiated from against 16c. in southern writers, again becoming an adverb only, and against taking over as preposition and conjunction, but again clung to all senses in northern and Scottish dialect (where against was not adopted).
Idioms and Phrases with again and again
again and again
Repeatedly, often, as in I've told you again and again, don't turn up the heat. This idiom uses repetition for the purpose of emphasis (as does its synonym, over and over). Shakespeare used it in Othello (1:3): “I have told thee often, and I retell thee again and again.” [c. 1600]
again
In addition to the idiom beginning with again
- again and again
also see:
- come again
- do something over again
- ever and again
- every now and again
- here someone goes again
- now and again
- off and on (off again, on again)
- over again
- something else again
- time and time again
- you can say that again