Wiktionary

oft

See also: OFT

English

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Etymology

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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

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Adverb

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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

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  • In widespread contemporary use in combination.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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Dutch

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Etymology

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

Adverb

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oft (comparative ofter, superlative oftst)

  1. (obsolete) often

Further reading

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oft - instituut voor de Nederlandse taal

German

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Etymology

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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

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Adverb

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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

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  • 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

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Further reading

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

Hunsrik

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Pronunciation

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Adverb

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oft

  1. often

Further reading

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Icelandic

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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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

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Luxembourgish

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Adverb

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oft

  1. often

Synonyms

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  1. often (in many cases)

Synonyms

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Old English

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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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

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Descendants

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

Old Norse

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

Adverb

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oft

  1. often

Descendants

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Old Saxon

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *ufta.

Adverb

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oft

  1. often

Descendants

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  • Low German: oft

Pennsylvania German

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Etymology

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Compare German oft, English often, Swedish ofta.

Adverb

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oft

  1. often, frequently

Synonyms

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Romanian

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Etymology

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From aht.

Noun

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oft n (plural ofturi)

  1. sigh

Declension

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singular plural
+ indefinite article + definite article + indefinite article + definite article
nominative/accusative (un) oft oftul (niște) ofturi ofturile
genitive/dative (unui) oft oftului (unor) ofturi ofturilor
vocative oftule ofturilor
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