again
- 01 A1 Beginner
adv.one more time; a repeat of something that happened before.
adv.indicating a repetition of an action or occurrence.
Simple“Can you play that song again? I really liked it.”
In context“The software failed to load the first time, so I had to restart the installation process again from the beginning.”
Synonyms - 02 A2 Elementary
adv.back to how things were before.
adv.indicating a return to a previous place, condition, or state of being.
Simple“It is nice to be home again after a long trip.”
In context“After several weeks of physical therapy, he was finally able to walk again without the assistance of a cane.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
adv.you use this when you want someone to repeat information you forgot.
adv.used metalinguistically to request the repetition of information within a conversation.
Simple“What was your sister's name again?”
In context“I am sorry, could you tell me the departure time again? I didn't catch it the first time.”
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.used to add another fact or reason to what you are saying.
adv.used to introduce an additional point or a counter-argument in a discussion.
Simple“The car is expensive, but then again, it is very reliable.”
In context“The project is risky; then again, the potential rewards for the company are significant enough to justify the investment.”
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
prep.an old or regional way to say 'against' or 'next to'.
prep.a regional variant of 'against', used to indicate physical opposition or proximity.
Simple“He leaned the ladder again the wall of the shed.”
In context“In the local dialect, it was common to hear the villagers speak of leaning their tools again the fence after a day's work.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly regional and rare in modern standard English; learners should use 'against' instead.
Typically placed at the end of a clause or sentence.
In simple sentences, 'again' usually follows the object or the verb rather than sitting between the subject and the verb.
Usage again find · again next · again years
Etymology tree ▲ Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Germanic *in Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.? Proto-Germanic *gagin Proto-Germanic *in gagin Proto-West Germanic *in gagin Old English onġēan Middle English agayn English again From Middle English agayn, from Old English onġēan (“against, again”), from Proto-West Germanic in gagin, from Proto-Germanic in gagin. Cognate with German entgegen (“contrary to”), North Frisian ijen (“against”), Danish igen (“again”), Swedish igen (“again”), and Norwegian Bokmål igjen (“again”), and Icelandic í gegnum (“through”). By surface analysis, on- + gain (“against”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.