thrice
Americanadverb
-
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
-
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.
Conversely, the men's team have thrice finished among the Pro League medals since 2022, and won European silver in 2023.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Already, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates thrice last year as the jobs market weakened, before pausing in January to assess the situation.
From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026
But if you do, read the fine print twice, or thrice.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 5, 2026
He was thrice divorced in 10 years, and at least two of the divorces were acrimonious and required repeat court interference.
From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2025
I first saw him when I was a child, and he has been twice or thrice since then.’
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
