Wiktionary

oft

See also: OFT

English

edit

Etymology

edit

From Middle English oft (also ofte, often > Modern English often), from Old English oft (“often”), from Proto-West Germanic *oftu, *oftō, from Proto-Germanic *uftō (“often”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian oafte (“oft, often”), West Frisian oft, ofte (“oft, often”), Dutch oft (“oft, often”), German oft (“oft, often”). More at often.

Pronunciation

edit

Adverb

edit

oft (comparative ofter, superlative oftest)

  1. (chiefly poetic, dialectal, and in combination) often; frequently; not rarely
    An oft-told tale
    • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
      What I can do, can do no hurt to try:
      Since you ſet up your reſt 'gainſt remedy:
      He that of greateſt works is finiſher,
      Oft does them by the weakeſt miniſter;
      So holy writ in babes hath judgment ſhown,
      When judges have been babes.
    • 1819, George Gordon Byron, John Galt (biography), The Pophecy of Dante, Canto the Fourth, 1857, The Complete Works of Lord Byron, Volume 1, page 403,
      And how is it that they, the sons of fame,
      Whose inspiration seems to them to shine
      From high, they whom the nations oftest name,
      Must pass their days in penury or pain,
      Or step to grandeur through the paths of shame,
      And wear a deeper brand and gaudier chain?
    • 1902, James H. Mulligan, In Kentucky, quoted in 2005, Wade Hall (editor), The Kentucky Anthology, page 203,
      The moonlight falls the softest
      In Kentucky;
      The summer days come oftest
      In Kentucky;

Usage notes

edit
  • In widespread contemporary use in combination.

Derived terms

edit
edit

Translations

edit

Anagrams

edit

Dutch

edit

Etymology

edit

From Proto-Germanic *ufta. Cognate with English oft and German oft.

Adverb

edit

oft (comparative ofter, superlative oftst)

  1. (obsolete) often

Further reading

edit

oft - instituut voor de Nederlandse taal

German

edit

Etymology

edit

From Middle High German ofte, oft, uft, from Old High German ofta, ofto, oftu, from Proto-Germanic *ufta, *uftō (“often”). Cognate with Dutch oft, English oft and often.

Pronunciation

edit

Adverb

edit

oft (comparative öfter, superlative am öftesten)

  1. often
    Synonyms: dauernd, des Öfteren, fortgesetzt, gehäuft, häufig, immer wieder, laufend, mehrfach, mehrmalig, mehrmals, öfter, öfters, oftmalig, oftmals, regelmäßig, ständig, vielfach, vielmals, wiederholt, x-mal, zigmal

Usage notes

edit
  • The superlative is, for whatever reason, sometimes frowned upon and is predominantly replaced with am häufigsten in formal style. The comparative is also sometimes replaced with häufiger.

Synonyms

edit

Further reading

edit
  • “oft” in Duden online
  • “oft” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Hunsrik

edit

Pronunciation

edit

Adverb

edit

oft

  1. often

Further reading

edit

Icelandic

edit

Etymology

edit

From Old Norse oft (“often”) and opt (“oft, often”).

Pronunciation

edit

Adverb

edit

oft (comparative oftar, superlative oftast)

  1. often
    Ég fer oft í ræktina.
    I often go to the gym.
    Ég er oftast í tölvunni.
    I spend most of my time on the computer.
    Ég hef sigrað oftar en þú!
    I've won oftener than you!

Derived terms

edit

Luxembourgish

edit

Adverb

edit

oft

  1. often

Synonyms

edit
  1. often (in many cases)

Synonyms

edit

Old English

edit

Etymology

edit

From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

Pronunciation

edit

Adverb

edit

oft (comparative oftor, superlative oftost)

  1. often, oft
    • 10th century, The Wanderer‎[1]:
      Oft him ānhaga · āre gebīdeð,
      Metudes miltse, · þēah þe hē mōdċeariġ
      A loner oft waits a grace for himself,
      Creator's mercy, even if he is sorrowful
    • 10th century, Exeter Book Riddle 5‎[2]:
      Oft iċ wīġ sēo, frēcne feohtan.
      I oft see a war, a dangerous battle.

Antonyms

edit

Descendants

edit
  • Middle English: ofte, oft
    • English: oft, often
    • Scots: aft, aften

Old Norse

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

Adverb

edit

oft

  1. often

Descendants

edit

Old Saxon

edit

Etymology

edit

From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

Adverb

edit

oft

  1. often

Descendants

edit
  • Low German: oft

Pennsylvania German

edit

Etymology

edit

Compare German oft, English often, Swedish ofta.

Adverb

edit

oft

  1. often, frequently

Synonyms

edit

Romanian

edit

Etymology

edit

From aht.

Noun

edit

oft n (plural ofturi)

  1. sigh

Declension

edit
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative-accusative oft oftul ofturi ofturile
genitive-dative oft oftului ofturi ofturilor
vocative oftule ofturilor
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=oft&oldid=81945814"