noun
respite
REHS-pyt
noun
1
A short period of rest or relief from something difficult or demanding.
"The ceasefire gave civilians a brief respite from the fighting."
"She took a weekend away as a respite from work stress."
verb
1
To grant someone a delay or temporary relief from an obligation.
"The court agreed to respite the payment deadline by thirty days."
How to Use Respite
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA brief pause that gives you a break from something hard or stressful.
Common pairings
brief respite
respite from
without respite
respite care
Word Forms
respited past tense, respites plural, respites singular
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The ceasefire gave civilians a brief _____ from the fighting.
Etymology
From Old French respit, "rest, delay," ultimately from Latin respectus. It shares this Latin root with the word respect.