thrice
/θrais/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adverb:
- Three times: On three occasions; multiplied by three. This is the primary and most common meaning.
- To a great degree; highly: (Archaic) Used for emphasis, meaning "very much" or "exceedingly."
Usage and Examples
As "three times":
- The bell rang thrice before anyone answered the door.
- She checked her email thrice daily.
- He earns thrice my salary.
Archaic/Formal use for emphasis:
- He was thrice blessed. (Meaning: He was very greatly blessed.)
Advanced Usage and Notes
- Frequency and Multiplication: "Thrice" is used to indicate both frequency (doing something three times) and multiplication (being three times as much).
- Frequency: I knocked thrice.
- Multiplication: This room is thrice the size of the other.
- Formality and Archaism: In modern English, "three times" is far more common in everyday speech. "Thrice" is considered formal, literary, or archaic. Its use can impart a poetic, old-fashioned, or emphatic tone.
Variants and Related Words
- Once (adv.): One time.
- Twice (adv.): Two times.
- Thrice is the traditional, patterned counterpart to "once" and "twice." There is no single, standard equivalent for "four times"; the pattern ends with "thrice."
Synonyms
- Three times: This is the direct and most common synonym.
- Triply (adv.): In three ways or to three times the degree. (More formal/technical)
Idioms and Phrases
- Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just: (Proverb) A person fighting for a just cause has a triple advantage. This illustrates the archaic, proverbial use of the word.
- Once, twice, thrice...: A traditional counting sequence, often used in rhymes, games, or for dramatic effect.
Adverb
- three times
- I called you thrice last night