repose means temporary cessation from activity to rest and recover, especially in the form of sleep; rest; (countable) an instance of this; a break, a rest; a sleep. It carries an Arena rating of 1874, earned across 26 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, repose ranks #197 of 17,120 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,262 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #4,911 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #5,452 of 17,130 for Most Ingenious Words.
repose is pronounced /ɹɪˈpəʊz/.
Why “repose” is a great word
A state of deep, tranquil stillness, marked by composure and a profound surrender to rest. Its lineage is embedded in cessation: from Middle English reposen, via Anglo-Norman and Old French reposer, from Latin repausāre (re-, 'again, back' + pausāre, 'to pause, stop'), itself from pausa ('a pause'), which traces to Ancient Greek παῦσις (paûsis, 'stopping'), from παύω (paúō, 'to stop'); the noun form entered English around 1500 from Old French repos, a back-formation from the verb. Unlike "rest," which is a general cessation of activity, or "relaxation," which implies an active, often muscular unwinding, repose is the dignified, passive achievement of settled quiet. It is the marble hand folded upon a sculpted breast, the weighted hush of a house after midnight, the quiet dignity of a cat in a sunbeam—a stillness not merely paused, but resolved, carrying the faint, solemn echo of a final pause.
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English reposen (“to rest”), from Anglo-Norman reposer, reposir, and Middle French reposer, from Old French reposer, repauser (“to become calm; to be peaceful; to rest; to be immobile; to lie or be placed; to cease, stop; to neglect”) (modern French reposer), from Latin repausāre, the present active infinitive of repausō (“(Late Latin) to be at rest; to lie down, rest; to sleep; to calm, pacify; (Latin) to halt temporarily, pause”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again; back, backwards’) + pausō (“to cease, halt; to pause”) (from pausa (“a halt, stop; a pause; an end”), from Ancient Greek παῦσῐς (paûsĭs, “ceasing, stopping”), from παύω (paúō, “to cease; to make to cease, stop; to bring to an end; to hinder”) (further etymology uncertain; possibly from Proto-Indo-
noun
- Temporary cessation from activity to rest and recover, especially in the form of sleep; rest; (countable) an instance of this; a break, a rest; a sleep.
- Temporary cessation from activity to rest and recover, especially in the form of sleep; rest; (countable) an instance of this; a break, a rest; a sleep.; Of the Virgin Mary: death; also assumption into heaven.
- Temporary cessation from activity to rest and recover, especially in the form of sleep; rest; (countable) an instance of this; a break, a rest; a sleep.; The festival honouring the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven, celebrated on August 15.
- The state of being peacefully inactive or relaxed, or being free from disturbances or worries; calmness, ease, peace, quietness.
- Calmness of the mind or temperament; composure.e.g.“But lord! she goes with so blithe a repose, / And comes so shapely about you, / That ere you're aware, with a glance and an air, / She whisks your heart from out you.”
- Of the face, a muscle, etc.: the state of being relaxed and not in tension.e.g.“In repose the faces of the men were intelligent and dignified, those of the women ofttimes prepossessing.”
- The state of lying still and unmoving; calmness, tranquillity; (countable) an instance of this.
- Relief or respite from something exhausting or unpleasant; (countable) an instance of this.
- Confidence, faith, or trust in something.
- The arrangement of elements of an artwork, a building, etc., that is restful and soothing to a viewer; harmony.
- The state of leaving something alone or untouched; (countable) an instance of this.
- Chiefly in the form point of repose, position of repose, etc.: absence of motion; equilibrium; (countable) a position where an object is not moving and at rest.
- Of a natural phenomenon, especially the eruption of a volcano: the state of temporary cessation of activity; dormancy, quiescence.
- A piece of furniture on which one can rest, especially a couch or sofa.
- A place of rest.
verb
- To lay (someone, or part of their body) down to rest.
- To rest (oneself), especially by going to sleep.
- Followed by from or (obsolete) of: to cause (oneself) to take a rest from some activity; also, to allow (oneself) to recover from some activity.
- To give (someone) rest; to refresh (someone) by giving rest.
- To cause (oneself) to have faith in or rely on someone or something.
- To give (someone) accommodation for the night.
- To lean or recline, sit down, or lie down to rest; to rest.
- To lean or recline, sit down, or lie down to rest; to rest.; To die, to rest in peace.e.g.“Simon reposed in the year 1287.”
- Followed by on or upon: of a thing: to lie or be physically positioned on something, especially horizontally; to rest on or be supported by something.e.g.“a trap reposing on sand”
- Followed by on or upon: of light, a look, etc.: to fall or rest (and often remain for a while) on something; to alight, to dwell.e.g.“[T]he grate did then unclose, / And on that reverend form the moonlight did repose.”
- Followed by on or upon: to be based on; to depend or rely on.
- To cease activity to rest or recover; also, to have a period free from activity or disturbance.e.g.“From the Leila and Majnun of Nizami. […] Thou wert agitated like the sand of the desert; but now thou reposest as the water of the lake.”
- To have faith in; to confide, to trust.
- To lie still and unmoving.
- Senses relating to placing or positioning.; To place (confidence, faith, or trust) in someone or something.
- Senses relating to placing or positioning.; Followed by in: to entrust (duty, power, etc.) in someone; to confide.e.g.“His greatest defect was the facility with which he reposed the cares of state on favorites, not always the most deserving.”
- Senses relating to placing or positioning.; To place (something), especially for safekeeping or storage; to deposit, to keep safe, to store.
- Senses relating to placing or positioning.; To regard (something) as being embodied in another thing; to ascribe, to attribute.
- Senses relating to placing or positioning.; To establish or institute (something); to found.
- Senses relating to placing or positioning.; To throw (something); to cast.
- Senses relating to returning.; To put (a body part) back in its usual location; to reposition.
- Senses relating to returning.; To forcefully restrain (something); to repress, to suppress.
- Senses relating to returning.; To return (something) to a particular place; to put back, to replace.
- Senses relating to returning.; To restore (someone) to a position or rank formerly held; to reinstate.
- Of a thing: to be in the management or power of a person or an organization.
- To pose (oneself or someone, or something) again.
Words closest in meaning
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