verb
reap
REEP
verb
1
To cut and gather a crop, especially grain.
"Farmers reap the wheat in late summer."
2
To receive something, often as a consequence or reward, of earlier effort.
"She reaped the rewards of years of hard studying."
"Those who cut corners often reap the consequences later."
How to Use Reap
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally, to harvest crops; figuratively, to get the results — good or bad — of what you have done.
Common mistake
Often paired with "sow" in the saying "you reap what you sow," meaning your actions eventually catch up with you.
Common pairings
reap the rewards
reap what you sow
reap a harvest
Word Forms
reaped past tense, reapt past tense, reaps plural, reaps singular
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Farmers _____ the wheat in late summer.
Etymology
From Old English rēopan/rīpan ("to reap"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning to cut or harvest, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European word for "to snatch."