Meanings
prepositional phrase
- One after the other; successively; alternating.
I am by turns angry and amused. I am the butchest of the three roommates; obviously she thought I was the most likely to get over my “bisexual phase.”
1995, Robin Sweeney, “Too Butch to Be Bi (or You Can't Judge a Boy by Her Lover)”, in Naomi Tucker, Liz Highleyman, Rebecca Kaplan, editors, Bisexual Politics: Theories, Queries, and Visions, Binghamton: The Haworth Press, →ISBN, page 185 - obsoleteAt intervals; from time to time.
[They] feel by turns the bitter change.
1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
Translations
Hungarian felváltva
- felváltvaOne after the other; successively; alternating
Icelandic til skiptis
- til skiptisOne after the other; successively; alternating
Italian a rotazione
- a rotazioneOne after the other; successively; alternating
Polish na zmianę, na przemian
- na zmianęOne after the other; successively; alternating
- na przemianOne after the other; successively; alternating
Scottish Gaelic mu seach
- mu seachOne after the other; successively; alternating
Swedish växelvis, om vartannat
- växelvisOne after the other; successively; alternating
- om vartannatOne after the other; successively; alternating
- ömsomOne after the other; successively; alternating
Cite this entry
APA
by turns. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20turns
MLA
“by turns.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20turns. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by turns,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20turns.
Source: by turns on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.