INDEX:
1. again
2. to do something again
3. to start doing something again
4. to start talking about something again
5. happening or doing something many times
RELATED WORDS
to say something again : ↑ REPEAT
to use something again : ↑ USE
to happen again : ↑ HAPPEN
see also
↑ START
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1. again
▷ again /əˈgen, əˈgeɪnǁəˈgen/ [adverb]
▪ If you’re late again we’ll leave without you.
▪ The floor needs cleaning again.
▪ It was nice to see you again.
▪ Julie! It’s your sister on the phone again.
▪ The fresh mountain air soon made Jennifer feel strong again.
▪ When I was safely back in my apartment again, I took out the letter and read it.
▷ once again/once more /ˌwʌns əˈgen, ˌwʌns ˈmɔːʳ/ [adverb] formal
use this especially about something worrying or serious that has happened before :
▪ Once again, the French army were totally humiliated.
▪ The crops had failed, and once more, famine threatened the region.
▪ Once again, I must remind you of the seriousness of the problems we face.
▪ The cost of living is once more on the increase.
▪ Once again, the City Council has decided to ignore the interests of the taxpayers.
▷ yet again /ˌjet əˈgen/ [adverb]
use this when something has happened too many times before in a way that is very annoying :
▪ Yet again, I was forced to ask my parents for money.
▪ The opening of the new museum has been delayed yet again.
▪ Yet again, you’re late turning in your assignment.
▪ It was the last day of their vacation and it was raining yet again.
▷ one more time/once more /ˌwʌn mɔːʳ ˈtaɪm, ˌwʌns ˈmɔːʳ/ [adverb]
again, and usually for the last time :
▪ Can we practise the last part just once more?
▪ I’m going to ask you just one more time: where did you get this money?
▪ She wanted to see her grandfather once more before he died.
▷ fresh /freʃ/ [adjective only before noun]
fresh attempt/look/start
one that is done again from the beginning in a new way, after you have been unsuccessful in the past :
▪ I think we need to take a fresh look at the problem.
▪ The army is planning a fresh attempt to regain control of the capital.
▷ not again! /nɒt əˈgen/ spoken
say this when something annoying happens again or happens too many times :
▪ ‘Sue, Steve’s on the phone asking for you.’ ‘Oh, not again!’
▪ ‘Not again!’ said Anna, as the word CANCELLED appeared next to her flight number for the third time.
2. to do something again
▷ do something again also do something over American /ˌduː something əˈgen, ˌduː something ˈəʊvəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to do something again, for example in order to practise it or because it was not done well enough the first time :
▪ I’d like you to do this exercise again.
▪ She spilt coffee on the application form and had to do it all again.
▪ I’m afraid you’ll have to do it over.
▷ repeat /rɪˈpiːt/ [transitive verb]
to do something again, especially many times, in order to achieve something useful :
▪ Holmes repeated the experiment several times and got the same results.
▪ Repeat this exercise ten times every day, and you’ll soon have firmer, more muscular thighs.
▷ redo /riːˈduː/ [transitive verb]
to do something such as an examination, test, or piece of work again because it was not done well enough the first time :
▪ I can’t read a word of this - you’ll have to redo it.
▪ The wallpaper came off and we had to redo the whole thing.
▷ retake /riːˈteɪk/ [transitive verb]
to do a written examination or other kind of test again because you have failed it :
▪ Julie’s had to retake her driving test at least three times.
▪ He decided to retake the course and try to get a higher grade.
retake /ˈriːteɪk/ [countable noun]
▪ The exam is in June. Retakes will be held in September.
▷ all over again /ɔːl ˌəʊvər əˈgen/ [adverb] especially spoken
if you do something long and difficult all over again you repeat it from the beginning :
▪ At the police station they asked me the same questions all over again.
▪ The prospect of writing the report all over again made me feel completely depressed.
start something all over again
▪ The computer crashed and deleted all my work - I had to start the essay all over again.
▷ here we go again /ˌhɪəʳ wi ˌgəʊ əˈgen/ spoken
said when you are annoyed because something that has happened or been done too many times before is happening again - use this especially before an argument that you frequently have with someone :
▪ ‘You’ve been drinking again, haven’t you!’ ‘Oh God, here we go again.’
3. to start doing something again
▷ go back to/return to also get back to /gəʊ ˈbæk tuː, rɪˈtɜːn tuː, get ˈbæk tuː-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
▪ After she hung up the phone, she went back to her knitting.
▪ He took a drink, wiped his forehead and returned to his digging.
▪ OK, lunch break’s over - time to get back to work.
4. to start talking about something again
▷ go back to/get back to also return to /gəʊ ˈbæk tuː, get ˈbæk tuː, rɪˈtɜːʳn tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb] especially spoken
to start talking about something again, after a period when you stopped talking about it :
▪ I’ll go back to your question in a few minutes.
▪ But getting back to what the real estate agent said, do you think we could get more for the house if we had it painted first?
▪ I think we can return to this argument later.
5. happening or doing something many times
▷ again and again /əˌgen ənd əˈgen/:
▪ I’ve told you again and again - don’t play ball near the windows.
▪ They hit him again and again until he was unconscious.
▪ This kind of ignorance is something that I see again and again.
▷ repeated /rɪˈpiːtɪd, rɪˈpiːtəd/ [adjective only before noun]
repeated attempts/efforts/requests/warnings etc
attempts, efforts, that someone tries to make many times but without getting the result they want :
▪ Motorists used the roads despite repeated warnings of snow.
▪ Repeated attempts to fix the satellite have failed.
▷ recurrent/recurring /rɪˈkʌrəntǁ-ˈkɜːr-, rɪˈkɜːrɪŋ/ [adjective usually before noun]
recurrent or recurring problems, illnesses, ideas etc happen repeatedly, especially in a way that is difficult to stop or control :
▪ Flooding is a recurrent problem in countries such as Bangladesh.
▪ a recurrent infection
▪ Men trying to escape from the women who love them is a recurrent theme in Greene’s novels.
recurring dream/nightmare
▪ I have this recurring dream in which my teeth are black and rotted.
▷ over and over again /ˌəʊvər ənd ˌ|ʊvər əˈgen/ [adverb]
use this to say that something happens a lot of times or when you have to do something a lot of times, especially when this makes you annoyed or impatient :
▪ I’ve told him over and over again not to call me at work, but he won’t listen.
▪ She practised the lines over and over again until they were word perfect.