: often
oft asked questions
an oft quoted statement

Examples of oft in a Sentence

as I have oft said, you need to look before you leap
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The top can be used for displaying decor like vases and trays and keeping oft-reached for items like remotes and drinks nearby. Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025 Land of the Giants Big things have small beginnings, and this excellent but oft-forgotten series springing from the fertile mind of Irwin Allen — later nicknamed the Master of Disaster — first aired on the ABC Network on September 22, 1968. Jeff Spry, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025 Set in the remote, windswept islands of Scotland, where the elements are so harsh there are no trees, the first seven seasons revolve around Detective Jimmy Perez, a lonely and oft-exasperated widower played by Douglas Henshall. Andrea Duncan-Mao, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025 George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, was born into a tumultuous family oft engaged in power struggles. Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oft

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German ofto often

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oft was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oft. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

oft

adverb
: often
an oft neglected factor

More from Merriam-Webster on oft

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