of ‧ ten S1 W1 /ˈɒf ə n, ˈɒft ə n $ ˈɒːf-/ BrE AmE adverb
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Origin: oft ]
1 . if something happens often, it happens regularly or many times SYN frequently :
She often works at the weekend.
If you wash your hair too often, it can get too dry.
How often do you see your parents?
quite/very often
I quite often go to Paris on business.
Robin is a difficult child; you’ve said so yourself often enough (=a lot of times) .
it is not often (that)
It’s not often that a government minister will admit to being wrong.
2 . if something happens often, it happens in many situations or cases:
It’s often difficult to translate poetry.
very/quite often
Very often children who behave badly at school have problems at home.
3 . all too often ( also only too often ) used to say that something sad, disappointing, or annoying happens too much:
All too often doctors are too busy to explain the treatment to their patients.
This type of accident happens only too often.
4 . every so often sometimes:
An inspector comes round every so often to check the safety equipment.
5 . as often as not ( also more often than not ) spoken usually:
More often than not the train is late.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ often used when saying that something happens many times:
Gary was often bad-tempered in the morning.
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We often meet up for a drink after work.
▪ a lot informal often:
I think she likes him – she talks about him a lot.
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His wife goes abroad on business a lot.
▪ frequently especially written often – used especially in writing or more formal English:
Passengers complain that trains are frequently late.
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Older patients frequently forget to take their medicine.
▪ regularly often, especially at regular intervals:
Buses run regularly every ten minutes.
▪ again and again used to emphasize that someone does something many times, or the same thing happens many times:
She told herself again and again that everything would be all right.
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Gunfire rang out across the city again and again.
▪ repeatedly especially written used to emphasize that someone does something many times:
His doctor had repeatedly warned him not to work so hard.
▪ constantly/continually often over a long period of time – used especially about something that is annoying or causes problems:
They seem to be continually arguing.
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It’s hard to keep up with technology when it’s constantly changing.
▪ time and time again many times – used when this is annoying or does not have any effect:
He forgets his keys time and time again.
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I tell students time and time again to keep careful notes.
■ to often happen or do something
▪ tend to do something to often do a particular thing and be likely to do it:
Dave tends to arrive late so don’t worry.
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Girls tend to be better at languages than boys.
▪ have a tendency to do something to often do something, especially something that is not good, and be more likely to do it than other people or things:
Some people have a tendency to put on weight.
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This type of cloth has a tendency to shrink.
▪ be inclined to do something to do something fairly often or be fairly likely to do it, especially because this is part of your character:
Teenage boys are inclined to take risks.
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She was inclined to giggle in class.
▪ have a habit of doing something used when saying that something has happened many times before and is likely to happen again:
Ben had a habit of coming home drunk.
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Life has a habit of surprising people.
▪ be prone to something to be more likely to have problems:
Some older computer systems were prone to go wrong.
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The fitter you are, the less you are prone to injury.
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plants that are prone to disease