2
general::
often
used when saying that something happens many times:
• Gary was often bad-tempered in the morning. • We often meet up for a drink after work.
a lot
informal often:
• I think she likes him – she talks about him a lot. • His wife goes abroad on business a lot.
frequently
especially written often – used especially in writing or more formal English:
• Passengers complain that trains are frequently late. • Older patients frequently forget to take their medicine.
regularly
often, especially at regular intervals:
• Buses run regularly every ten minutes.
again and again
used to emphasize that someone does something many times, or the same thing happens many times:
• She told herself again and again that everything would be all right. • Gunfire rang out across the city again and again.
repeatedly
especially written used to emphasize that someone does something many times:
• His doctor had repeatedly warned him not to work so hard.
constantly/continually
often over a long period of time – used especially about something that is annoying or causes problems:
• They seem to be continually arguing. • It’s hard to keep up with technology when it’s constantly changing.
time and time again
many times – used when this is annoying or does not have any effect:
• He forgets his keys time and time again. • I tell students time and time again to keep careful notes.
to often happen or do something
tend to do something
to often do a particular thing and be likely to do it:
• Dave tends to arrive late so don’t worry. • Girls tend to be better at languages than boys.
have a tendency to do something
to often do something, especially something that is not good, and be more likely to do it than other people or things:
• Some people have a tendency to put on weight. • This type of cloth has a tendency to shrink.
be inclined to do something
to do something fairly often or be fairly likely to do it, especially because this is part of your character:
• Teenage boys are inclined to take risks. • She was inclined to giggle in class.
have a habit of doing something
used when saying that something has happened many times before and is likely to happen again:
• Ben had a habit of coming home drunk. • Life has a habit of surprising people.
be prone to something
to be more likely to have problems:
• Some older computer systems were prone to go wrong. • The fitter you are, the less you are prone to injury. • plants that are prone to disease
Longman-Thesaurus