over and over again

over and over again

Meaning

• again and again
• something happening in frequent intervals
• to do something multiple times

Example Sentences

1. I have cleaned up this mess over and over again but ever time I come back it is dirty again.
2. I have told him over and over again that I would not be going, but he won't listen.
3. He has repeated the question over and over again but I still do not understand.
4. He was expelled for being rude to other students over and over again.
5. He will help you practise the dance over and over again. Until you are able to do it flawlessly.
6. I have asked them over and over again to send the work to my home email address but they keep doing it wrong.

Origin

The word “over” has been used since 900. It is a Middle English word meaning to do something again. If you do something over it means that you are doing something that has been done before. So, it is easy to surmise that if something is done over and over again it means that an action is repeated the whole time.

There is no clear indication of when the idiom originated or where it was used for the first time.

Synonyms

• time after time
• time and again
• again and again
• every time
• constantly
• without fail
• always