diff --git a/redbot/core/events.py b/redbot/core/events.py
index dfbc79a811b..a5ef5240452 100644
--- a/redbot/core/events.py
+++ b/redbot/core/events.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import datetime
 import logging
 import traceback
+import asyncio
 from datetime import timedelta
 from typing import List
 
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@
 
 from . import __version__ as red_version, version_info as red_version_info, VersionInfo, commands
 from .data_manager import storage_type
-from .utils.chat_formatting import inline, bordered, format_perms_list
+from .utils.chat_formatting import inline, bordered, format_perms_list, humanize_timedelta
 from .utils import fuzzy_command_search, format_fuzzy_results
 
 log = logging.getLogger("red")
@@ -242,8 +243,22 @@ async def on_command_error(ctx, error):
         elif isinstance(error, commands.NoPrivateMessage):
             await ctx.send("That command is not available in DMs.")
         elif isinstance(error, commands.CommandOnCooldown):
+            if error.retry_after < 1:
+                async with ctx.typing():
+                    # the sleep here is so that commands using this for ratelimit purposes
+                    # are not made more lenient than intended, while still being
+                    # more convienient for the user than redoing it less than a second later.
+                    await asyncio.sleep(error.retry_after)
+                    await ctx.bot.invoke(ctx)
+                    # done this way so checks still occur if there are other
+                    # failures possible than just cooldown.
+                    # do not change to ctx.reinvoke()
+                    return
+
             await ctx.send(
-                "This command is on cooldown. Try again in {:.2f}s".format(error.retry_after)
+                "This command is on cooldown. Try again in {}.".format(
+                    humanize_timedelta(seconds=error.retry_after)
+                )
             )
         else:
             log.exception(type(error).__name__, exc_info=error)
diff --git a/redbot/core/utils/chat_formatting.py b/redbot/core/utils/chat_formatting.py
index f0fb8aa2141..23d4a5e4e5e 100644
--- a/redbot/core/utils/chat_formatting.py
+++ b/redbot/core/utils/chat_formatting.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import itertools
-from typing import Sequence, Iterator, List
+import datetime
+from typing import Sequence, Iterator, List, Optional
 
 import discord
 
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ def pagify(
     priority: bool = False,
     escape_mass_mentions: bool = True,
     shorten_by: int = 8,
-    page_length: int = 2000
+    page_length: int = 2000,
 ) -> Iterator[str]:
     """Generate multiple pages from the given text.
 
@@ -386,3 +387,37 @@ def format_perms_list(perms: discord.Permissions) -> str:
             perm_name = '"' + perm.replace("_", " ").title() + '"'
             perm_names.append(perm_name)
     return humanize_list(perm_names).replace("Guild", "Server")
+
+
+def humanize_timedelta(
+    *, timedelta: Optional[datetime.timedelta] = None, seconds: Optional[int] = None
+) -> str:
+    """
+    Get a human timedelta representation
+    """
+
+    try:
+        obj = seconds or timedelta.total_seconds()
+    except AttributeError:
+        raise ValueError("You must provide either a timedelta or a number of seconds")
+
+    seconds = int(obj)
+    periods = [
+        (_("year"), _("years"), 60 * 60 * 24 * 365),
+        (_("month"), _("months"), 60 * 60 * 24 * 30),
+        (_("day"), _("days"), 60 * 60 * 24),
+        (_("hour"), _("hours"), 60 * 60),
+        (_("minute"), _("minutes"), 60),
+        (_("second"), _("seconds"), 1),
+    ]
+
+    strings = []
+    for period_name, plural_period_name, period_seconds in periods:
+        if seconds >= period_seconds:
+            period_value, seconds = divmod(seconds, period_seconds)
+            if period_value == 0:
+                continue
+            unit = plural_period_name if period_value > 1 else period_name
+            strings.append(f"{period_value} {unit}")
+
+    return ", ".join(strings)