thrice
gb/θɹˈaɪs/ us/θɹˈaɪs/
B2
English
~ 6700
Senses
0 senses
adverb
literary
B2
quantity
1
Three times; on three occasions
Three times; happening or done three times.
Usage pattern:
to do [something] thrice
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'thrice' is common in modern everyday English. In most contemporary contexts, native speakers say 'three times' instead. Learners may also confuse 'thrice' with 'third' or 'triple'; remember that 'thrice' describes how many times something happens, not order or multiplication.
Synonyms
three times (Standard modern expression; neutral and more common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
once (Indicates only a single occurrence instead of three occurrences.)
Collocations
thrice daily
|thrice weekly
|thrice as much
|thrice as likely
|once, twice, thrice
Themes
numbers
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The alarm sounded thrice before anyone reacted.
- He has visited the city thrice in the past year.
- The medicine must be taken thrice daily after meals.
- They tried thrice to fix the problem, but it kept returning.
- She knocked thrice on the heavy wooden door.
Learner examples
- The phone rang thrice and then stopped.
- I watched that movie thrice last month.
- You should read the text thrice to understand it well.
- The teacher called my name thrice.
- He wrote the word thrice on the board.
adverb
literary
C1
property
2
Very; extremely (literary intensifier)
Used in some formal or old-style phrases to mean 'very' or 'extremely'.
Usage pattern:
thrice [adjective/participle]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use 'thrice' as a general modern intensifier before any adjective, like *'thrice good'* or *'thrice happy'*. In contemporary English, this sounds strange or joking. It is mostly found in set literary or religious phrases such as 'thrice blessed' or 'thrice holy'.
Synonyms
very (Most common modern intensifier; less dramatic and not literary in tone.)
Antonyms
slightly (Minimizes the degree of a quality instead of strongly increasing it.)
Collocations
thrice blessed
|thrice-cursed
|thrice holy
|thrice noble
Themes
emphasis
|evaluation
|communication
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- In the poet’s eyes, she was thrice blessed by fortune.
- He left the council thrice disgraced and utterly alone.
- They sang of a thrice holy city that could never fall.
- The general was portrayed as thrice-cursed for his betrayal.
- Such a chance, he declared, was thrice welcome.
Learner examples
- In this old story, the hero is called thrice blessed.
- The writer says their love is thrice strong.
- The poem speaks of a thrice holy place.
- The king is described as thrice noble in the book.
- In the speech, he calls the plan thrice foolish.
Grammar
Dictionary form
thrice
IPA
GB/θɹˈaɪs/
US/θɹˈaɪs/
Syllables & stress
thrice (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (thrice)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: thrice
- Plural: thrices
Word family
Expressions
once, twice, thrice
1/wˈʌns | twˈaɪs | θɹˈaɪs/
fixed phrase
Words for one, two, and three times
A set phrase listing the words for one time, two times, and three times.
Examples
- The teacher wrote 'once, twice, thrice' on the board to show the old words for how many times something happens.
- You sometimes hear people say 'once, twice, thrice' in a playful way when counting how many times they tried something.
thrice daily
1/θɹˈaɪs dˈeɪli/
fixed phrase
formal
Three times a day
Three times each day, often used for medicine or routine instructions.
Examples
- The label says to take the tablets thrice daily after meals.
- During the study, participants were asked to record their mood thrice daily.
thrice-blessed
1/θɹˈaɪs blˈɛst/
fixed phrase
literary
Extremely fortunate or favored
Very, very lucky or favored, especially in a formal or literary style.
Examples
- The narrator calls the peaceful island a thrice-blessed land.
- She felt thrice-blessed to have such kind friends around her.