phrase
once again
wuns uh-GEN
Once again (phrase) means one more time, especially when the same thing has happened before. It often carries a note of weariness or of pointed recognition that a pattern is repeating. Example: “Once again, the meeting overran by half an hour.”
phrase
1
One more time, especially when the same thing has happened before. It often carries a note of weariness or of pointed recognition that a pattern is repeating.
"Once again, the meeting overran by half an hour."
"Let me say once again how grateful we are."
How to use once again
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAgain, one more time.
When to use it
Neutral. Works in speech and formal writing alike.
Memory tip
As a sentence opener it takes a comma: Once again, the answer was no.
Easily confused with
once more
yet again
again and again
Common pairings
once again, we
thank you once again
once again proved
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_____, the meeting overran by half an hour.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for once again
See all rhymes for once again →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between once again and once more?
Once more emphasises one further repetition, often a final one: 'sing it once more'. Once again points out that something is repeating, frequently with a sigh: 'once again, nobody replied'. They overlap, but once more sounds slightly more literary.
Is once again just a longer way of saying again?
Almost, but not quite. Once again is more emphatic and usually sits at the front of a sentence to frame the whole statement as a repetition, where plain again would simply be tacked on at the end.
What is the meaning of once again?
"once again" (phrase) means one more time, especially when the same thing has happened before. It often carries a note of weariness or of pointed recognition that a pattern is repeating.
What is another word for once again?
Other words for "once again" include again, yet again, one more time, afresh, anew.
