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thrice

Hi, I thought that "thrice" was rare and archaic but I've come across it several times, even in a song. I'd like to know whether it's common or not.

<<The question about thrice has been asked thrice.
Such a magical opportunity has provoked me to merge the threads, in a trice, into one.
The first thread starts here.
The second thread starts at #14
The third thread starts at #27

I found these threads by looking up thrice in the WordReference dictionary.
At the end of the listing, it gives all of the WR threads that include the key word in their title.
This is a very easy, and immensely useful way to find previous threads.
Unfortunately it seems to be a secret👁 Roll Eyes :rolleyes:

Panjandrum
(Moderator)>>
I guess it just depends on where you are in the world. I hear many people use those words and I live in Canada. I guess it changes depending on where your situated in the world.
Really? I never heard of that band before...It's not First, Second, Thrice but rather...once, twice, thrice....so on and so forth....
Thrice = "three times".

Also, archaically it means "extremely or greatly".

Just so you know, even though this word exists in the dictionary, it is so seldom used in my corner of the universe that if you said it people would probably think that you just used a non-existant word.

I would say "three times"

I.e. - instead of "I've been there thrice" I'd say "I've been there three times"

To the archaic definition "Thou hath smote me to the thrice degree"? Hehe, sounds funny 👁 Smile :)
(You'd never hear this sentence nowadays, "thou," "hath," and seldom "smote" 👁 Stick Out Tongue :P
)

-M
I hear it quite often, but usually in a silly cheeky, mock-archaic or quirky manner. I've even known people to roll the "r" for comedic effect. People use it less often in earnest.

Z.
Moogey said:
Thrice = "three times".

Also, archaically it means "extremely or greatly".

Just so you know, even though this word exists in the dictionary, it is so seldom used in my corner of the universe that if you said it people would probably think that you just used a non-existant word.

I would say "three times"

I.e. - instead of "I've been there thrice" I'd say "I've been there three times"

To the archaic definition "Thou hath👁 Cross :cross:
smote me to the thrice👁 Cross :cross:
degree"? Hehe, sounds funny 👁 Smile :)
(You'd never hear this sentence nowadays, "thou," "hath," and seldom "smote" 👁 Stick Out Tongue :P
)

-M

Thou hast smote me thrice or to the third degree.
Thrice is an adverb.
-st endings go with thou

He/She hath smote me thrice.
-th endings go with the third person singular.

Shakespeare was inconsistent, and sometimes used -th and sometimes -s
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; (not thrice!)
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

"in a thrice" = "in an instant"
thrice said:
funny you should ask... =)
I understand that your nic here is "thrice", but does this post really contribute to our knowledge on the word "thrice"?..... 👁 Roll Eyes :rolleyes:


Why don't you tell us what you know about the word, and how common it is?...
Brioche said:
Thou hast smote me thrice or to the third degree.
Thrice is an adverb.
-st endings go with thou

He/She hath smote me thrice.
-th endings go with the third person singular.

Shakespeare was inconsistent, and sometimes used -th and sometimes -s
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; (not thrice!)
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

"in a thrice" = "in an instant"

Aha, thanks. Unfortunately, I don't know old English so well. I would really like to, though, and learn all the irregular verbs of old English (such as "to have" as you can see hast/hath and "to be" as "thou art" etc..) There has to be a website somewhere. I would actually speak this way. I like it, and I'd like to see the looks on people's faces as well 👁 Big Grin :D


-M
Diablo919 said:
First, second, thrice?

Also, there is a band named Thrice.

yes, an awesome band at that...


i use it in humurous situations.
VenusEnvy said:
I understand that your nic here is "thrice", but does this post really contribute to our knowledge on the word "thrice"?..... 👁 Roll Eyes :rolleyes:


Why don't you tell us what you know about the word, and how common it is?...


Fair enough 👁 Smile :)
. In my experience, it's a very uncommon word. In fact, I would think that many (native english speaking) people may never have even heard of it. I can't think of any time where I've heard it spoken in normal conversation other than jokingly or in reference to the band 'Thrice'. The most common use of the word, I think, is in the phrase "...not once, not twice, but thrice", which can be a way of emphasizing the absurdity of something occurring three times instead of the slightly less ludicrous twice or the preferred once.
Hi There,


I just found the word "thrice". Since I never thought that it could exist, I was just wondering if it is in the common use.

Thanks in advance
It does exist, and means three times, but the Americans I know don't use it at all in speech, nor very often in writing.
Kelly B said:
It does exist, and means three times, but the Americans I know don't use it at all in speech, nor very often in writing.

Indeed, I understood the meaning by the context . It was written behind "twice"
Thank you
Thrice ('three times'), which is "old use," seems to be disappearing from Modern English according to The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.
It's still in use, I sometimes use it with my wrinkly friends, "Another B***** conversion missed, that's thrice!"
I just tried it on my son 27, he knows what it means but doesn't use it. "Nobody would know what I was talking about"
I recall the song lyrics: "You're once, twice, three times a lady..."
"You're once, twice, thrice a lady..." just doesn't sound right.
"You're once, twice, thrice a lady..." just doesn't sound right.
it doesn't even scan

"You're twice, thrice, four times a lady..." does
But were off topic
emma1968 said:
Hi There,


I just found the word "thrice". Since I never thought that it could exist, I was just wondering if it is in the common use.

Thanks in advance
Hi Emma1968,
Thrice, while not a common word, is understood by any educated English speaker. In addition to meaning three times, it is used in the set phrase in a thrice, which means instantly.
JD
jdenson said:
Hi Emma1968,
Thrice, while not a common word, is understood by any educated English speaker. In addition to meaning three times, it is used in the set phrase in a thrice, which means instantly.
JD
Oh not it's not.
That phrase is in a trice, a different thing altogether👁 Big Grin :D


In/ at a trice is lit. at a single pluck or pull; hence, in an instant; instantly, forthwith; without delay. Obs.
Source OED
I use "thrice" all the time. I can't actually remember the last time I've used "three times." Well, aside from just there 👁 Stick Out Tongue :p
.

I just wish there were versions of these words for "four times, five times, six times, etc." 👁 Frown :(


"Okay folks, that's not enough pizza... I think we'd need thrice as many."

Of course, people always think I'm strange for most of the things I say.




Jon
panjandrum said:
Oh not it's not.
That phrase is in a trice, a different thing altogether👁 Big Grin :D


In/ at a trice is lit. at a single pluck or pull; hence, in an instant; instantly, forthwith; without delay. Obs.
Source OED
Hi Panjandrum,
All my life I've heard (and said) "in a thrice" to mean "instantly". In future, it will be "in a trice".
JD
Hi everybody....

I got very confused.👁 Confused :confused:


I thought it is said once, twice and then three times, four times etc.

But, now I see that there is also thrice.

I also checked in the Marriam Webster Dictionary, and the word really exists!

Now my question is: How frequent is the word? Is it used on regular basis or it is not so common?

I am very surprised, since I have NEVER seen it in use. As a matter of fact, I thought it does not exist!👁 Eek! :eek:
Furthermore, I have never seen it in any grammar book I read (and I read a lot of them), and no English teacher had ever mentioned THRICE to me.

Please, tell me if you as NATIVE speakers use this word and if yes, when and in what contexts.
Thanks in advance.
N.
Hi,

Thrice definitely is a word, but it is very rarely used in spoken or written English. I would not worry about trying to use it, just remember what it means if you ever hear it!
Pinkbeads said:
Hi,

Thrice definitely is a word, but it is very rarely used in spoken or written English. I would not worry about trying to use it, just remember what it means if you ever hear it!

Well, good to know, since I was about to correct one forero saying that this word does not exist.... And then, I don't know why, I started to doubt and checked in the dictionary... Maybe it would not be such a bad idea to point out in the dictionary the frequency of the usage of some word...

I am sure this forero looked into dictionary and used it, without knowing that it is more common to say three times...

Well, one thing is sure. You learn until you die.
Thanks a lot.
Cheers.
N.
I've recently read the word 'thrice' in a modern US book.
Is this word still normally used, or could it be used for stylistic reasons (such has making the sentence sound more 'medieval') ?
I've recently read the word 'thrice' in a modern US book.
Is this word still normally used, or could it be used for stylistic reasons (such has making the sentence sound more 'medieval') ?



Hello bfabien.

"Thrice" is a very archaic word and one which is unlikely to be heard in modern conversation.

It could still be used stylistically and most people would understand its meaning.




LRV
Actually, no, you can't (replying for AE only; it may be different in BE). You'd be understood, but you'd be thought a bit, um, eccentric. Or perhaps amusing, depending on your audience.
Thanks for your responses.
There is: once, twice, tree times then? There's no other way to say it, right?
Thanks for your responses.
There is: once, twice, tree times then? There's no other way to say it, right?

I thought you were going to break out into song:
Yes, you're once, twice,
Three times a lady.
-"Three Times A Lady", Commodores​

Three times is the idiomatic way of saying "thrice". The dictionary is correct in tagging it archaic.
​
Thrice is archaic in BE too.

(Pity, I would have extended it; once, twice, thrice, force, fice, sice... 👁 Smile :)
)
I think it's fair to say that it's not common in speech but I wouldn't go as far as to call it archaic, google records it being used 92,000 times in the last 24 hours. Granted many of these are irrelevent but shows at least the word is fairly regulary used in print.
However, the Google n-gram viewer shows a ninefold and steady decline in its usage since 1800.
If someone used thrice when talking to me I might just notice it as being a bit unusual, but then I grew up when it was in use...

GF...
OFFICIAL: Thrice is 'cool' again ... or as cool as anything associated with Queen Elizabeth II's grandson William, Duke of Something can be👁 Cool :cool:
On leaving the hospital where his third child had just been born the other day, the elongated prince said:
Thrice the worry now!
If things carry on like this we'll soon be calling our children Æthelred and burning heretics again👁 Smile :)
You'd think he'd had nothing to do with it. I'm more worried about the proposal to reintroduce dual case endings and deport all foreign words back to where they came from.
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