1. always
The archaic poetic term ‘oft’ means ‘often’, ‘frequently’ or ‘usually’. It refers to common recurrence rather than an absolute, perpetual state, making ‘always’ the incorrect synonym.
Chapter 7 Words Poem by Charles Swain Solutions
Class 9 English Kaveri Words Poem by Charles Swain Exercise Solutions
The word ‘oft’ is an archaic or poetic shortening of ‘often’, denoting something that happens with high frequency or regular recurrence. Therefore, options ‘usually’, ‘frequently’ and ‘often’ all share this core meaning. In contrast, ‘always’ signifies constancy, permanence or every single instance without exception, meaning it does not carry the same definition as ‘oft’.
For more NCERT Solutions of Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 7 Words Question Answer (2026-27)
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