English dictionary — definitions & meanings

repay

verb

To pay back money that was borrowed or owed.

repayment

noun

The act of paying back money owed, or the amount paid back.

repeal

verb

To officially cancel a law.

repeat

verb

To say or do something again.

repeated

adjective

Done or said more than once.

repeatedly

adverb

Again and again; many times.

repeating

adjective

Happening again and again in the same way.

repel

verb

To drive back or fight off an attack or attacker.

repellency

noun

The ability to repel; the characteristic of repelling.

repellent

adjective

Causing strong dislike or disgust.

repelling

noun

An act by which something is repelled; repulsion.

repent

verb

To feel deep regret for something wrong you have done, often wanting to change.

repentance

noun

A feeling of deep regret or sorrow for wrongdoing.

repentant

adjective

Showing sincere sorrow or regret for wrongdoing.

repenting

noun

The act of feeling deep regret for wrongdoing.

repercussion

noun

A bad result of an action or event, usually one that arrives later and indirectly. Usually plural.

repertoire

noun

The full range of works, skills, or pieces a person or group is ready to perform.

repertory

noun

A repertoire.

repetition

noun

The act of doing or saying something again, or an instance of it happening again.

repetitious

adj

Characterized by repetition, especially excessive repetition.

repetitive

adjective

Involving the same action or thing done over and over, often to the point of being tedious.

rephrase

verb

To say or write the same idea using different words.

repine

verb

To complain; to regret; to fret.

repining

noun

The act of fretting or feeling discontent or of murmuring.

replace

verb

To put something new in the place of something old, broken, or lost.

replaceable

adjective

Able to be swapped for something else.

replacement

noun

A person or thing that takes the place of another.

replay

verb

To play something again, especially a recording.

replaying

noun

The act of playing something again.

replenish

verb

To fill something back up, or supply a fresh amount of something that has run low.

replenishable

adj

Able to be renewed or replenished.

replenishment

noun

The act of replenishing.

replete

adj

Abounding, amply provided.

replica

noun

An exact copy of something, often made for display or study rather than actual use.

replicant

noun

A robot or artificial being that is an exact copy of a genuine lifeform, especially a human.

replicate

verb

To make a copy of something, especially so that it matches the original precisely.

replication

noun

The process of copying or reproducing something so a fresh, identical version exists.

replicative

adj

Of, pertaining to, or causing replication.

replicator

noun

Something capable of copying itself, such as a gene or a self-spreading idea.

reply

verb

To give a spoken or written answer to a question, message, or accusation.

repo

verb

Informal short form of "repossess" — to take back property because payments haven't been made.

repopulate

verb

To bring a population back up again, whether of people, animals, or data.

report

verb

To give an account of an event or pass on information that has been observed or heard.

reportage

noun

The reporting of news, especially by an eyewitness.

reportedly

adverb

According to what has been reported, though not necessarily confirmed.

reporter

noun

A journalist who gathers information and writes or broadcasts news stories.

reporting

noun

The activity of preparing reports, whether in business, government, or similar settings.

repose

noun

A state of rest or calm, especially after activity, or a period of sleep.

reposeful

adj

Providing repose, restful.

reposit

verb

To cause to rest or stay in a certain place; to place, put, or deposit.

reposition

verb

To move something or someone into a different position.

repository

noun

A place where things are stored, often for safekeeping.

repossess

verb

To take back property, typically because the buyer has stopped making payments on it.

reposting

noun

The act of posting something again.

reprehend

verb

To criticize, to reprove.

reprehensible

adjective

Deserving strong criticism or blame; shamefully wrong.

reprehension

noun

the act, or an expression, of criticism, censure or condemnation; reprimand

reprehensive

adj

Containing reprehension or reproof.

reprehensively

adv

In a reprehensive manner.

represent

verb

To act or speak on behalf of someone else.

representation

noun

The act of representing something, or something that stands in for something else.

representations

noun

Formal statements or complaints made to an authority.

representative

adjective

Typical of a larger group; standing for the qualities of that group.

representing

noun

The act of standing in for or portraying someone or something.

repress

verb

To use force to stop an uprising, protest, or similar unrest from growing.

repressed

adjective

Held back or kept from being expressed, especially emotions.

repressible

adj

Capable of being repressed, controlled, suppressed or limited.

repressing

noun

The act of holding something down or back, or a further round of pressing something.

repression

noun

The use of force or authority to control or suppress people, especially their rights or freedoms.

repressive

adjective

Using harsh control or force to restrict freedom; oppressive.

repressor

noun

Anything that represses.

reprieve

verb

To cancel or delay a punishment, especially an execution.

reprimand

noun

A formal, often stern rebuke for wrongdoing.

reprisal

noun

An act of retaliation, especially in response to an attack or injury.

reprise

noun

A repeated section of a piece of music, especially a return to an earlier tune or song later in a show or album.

repro

noun

Clipping of reproduction.

reproach

noun

A mild expression of blame or disappointment.

reproachful

adj

Expressing or containing reproach

reproaching

noun

The act of showing reproach.

reprobate

adj

Rejected; cast off as worthless.

reprocess

verb

To process again.

reprocessing

noun

A second or subsequent processing.

reproduce

verb

To make a copy of something, such as an image, document, or sound.

reproducible

adj

Capable of being reproduced at a different time or place and by different people.

reproducing

noun

The act of making copies of something or of producing offspring.

reproduction

noun

The biological process by which living things produce offspring.

reproductive

adjective

Relating to the process of producing offspring.

reproductively

adv

In terms of, or by means of, reproduction

reprogram

verb

To program a device or system again, often with new instructions.

reprogrammed

adjective

Having been programmed again, differently from before.

reprogramming

noun

The act of giving a system or device new instructions.

reproof

noun

An act or instance of reproving or of reprobating; a rebuke, a reproach, an admonition.

reprove

verb

To express disapproval.

reproving

adj

Expressing reproof; reproachful or admonishing.

reps

noun

Informal plural of "rep" — repetitions of an exercise, or sales representatives.

reptile

noun

A cold-blooded, scaly, egg-laying animal such as a snake, lizard, or turtle.

reptilian

adj

Relating to reptiles, or having qualities typical of them.

reptitious

adj

Synonym of reptile: creeping, crawling.

republic

noun

A country governed by elected representatives and a head of state who is not a monarch.

republican

noun

A person who supports republican government — rule by elected representatives rather than a monarch.

repudiate

verb

To reject a claim, idea or association firmly and publicly, and to state that you want nothing to do with it.

repudiation

noun

The act of refusing to accept; the act of repudiating.

repugnance

noun

Extreme aversion, repulsion.

repugnant

adj

So offensive or distasteful that it causes strong disgust.

repulse

verb

To drive back an attack or attacker.

repulsion

noun

A strong feeling of disgust or aversion.

repulsive

adj

Causing strong disgust; extremely unpleasant.

repulsiveness

noun

The characteristic of being repulsive.

reputability

noun

The property of being reputable, a person's reputation.

reputable

adj

Well thought of; having a good reputation.

reputation

noun

The general opinion that people hold about someone or something.

repute

noun

Reputation, especially a favorable one.

reputed

adj

Generally believed or said to be, though not necessarily confirmed.

reputedly

adv

According to repute or general belief.

request

verb

To ask for something, often politely or formally.

requested

verb

Past tense and past participle of request: asked for something formally or politely.

requester

noun

One who, or that which, makes a request.

requicken

verb

To quicken anew; to reanimate or give new life to.

requiem

noun

A religious ceremony, especially a Catholic Mass, held to honor and pray for the dead.

requiescat

noun

A prayer for the peaceful repose of the soul of a dead person

require

verb

To need something as essential.

required

adj

Necessary or mandatory.

requirement

noun

Something that is necessary or must be met before something else can happen.

requiring

noun

The act of demanding or needing something.

requisite

adj

Necessary for a particular purpose; needed.

requisition

noun

A formal, official request for goods, supplies, or action.

requital

noun

Compensation for damage or loss; amends.

requite

verb

To repay (a debt owed); specifically, to recompense or reward someone for (a favour, a service rendered, etc.)

reread

verb

To read something again.

reroute

verb

To send something or someone along a different path than originally planned.

rerouting

noun

The process of redirecting something onto a different path.

rerun

noun

A television program shown again after its original broadcast.

Res

name

A surname.

resale

noun

The sale of something that was previously bought, by its owner, to a new buyer.

reschedule

verb

To arrange for something to happen at a different time than originally planned.

rescind

verb

To officially cancel or revoke something, such as a law, order, or agreement.

rescission

noun

An act of rescinding: removing, taking away, or taking back.

rescript

noun

A copy, or act of rewriting something; a rewrite.

rescue

verb

To save someone or something from danger, harm, or a difficult situation.

rescuer

noun

A person who saves someone from danger.

rescuing

noun

The act of saving someone or something from danger.

research

noun

Careful, systematic study of a subject to discover or confirm facts.

researcher

noun

A person whose work involves carrying out careful investigation into a subject.

researching

noun

The activity of carrying out careful study or investigation.

resect

verb

To remove (some part of an organ or structure) by surgical means.

resection

noun

The surgical removal of part or all of an organ, tissue, or tumor.

resectoscope

noun

A hollow and flexible surgical instrument typically inserted through the urethra or vagina, used for performing a biopsy or resection at the level of the prostate, uterus, or urinary bladder.

resell

verb

To sell something that one has previously bought.

resemblance

noun

A similarity in appearance or qualities between two things or people.

resemble

verb

To look like or share qualities with someone or something.