respite means A brief interval of rest or relief. It carries an Arena rating of 1601, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, respite ranks #895 of 14,297 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,308 of 14,431 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,317 of 14,444 for Most Exacting Words, #2,737 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words.
respite is pronounced /ˈɹɛsˌpaɪt/.
Why “respite” is a great word
A short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant, or the act of granting such a reprieve or delay. From Anglo-Norman and Old French respit ('rest, reprieve'), from Latin respectus ('regard, consideration, refuge'), a doublet of respect; first attested in English in the mid-13th century. Unlike a 'reprieve,' which is a formal, legal stay of execution, or a 'hiatus,' which implies a prolonged and structural gap, a respite is a brief, stolen mercy. It is the sudden quiet when the machinery halts, the cool patch of shade on a relentless road, the single, unclaimed minute of silence before the next demand begins—a temporary harbor against the relentless tide.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman and Old French respit (“rest”), from Latin respectus. Doublet of respect.
noun
- A brief interval of rest or relief.“I crave but four day's respite.”
- A reprieve, especially from a sentence of death.“Thenne spake sir gawayn and sayd my lord Arthur I wold counceylle yow not to be ouer hasty but that ye wold putte it in respyte this Iugement of my lady the quene for many causes.
"Then spake Sir Gawaine, and said: My lord Arthur, I would counsel you not to be over-hasty, but that ye would put it in respite, this judgment of my lady the queen, for many causes."”
- The delay of appearance at court granted to a jury beyond the proper term.
- A short period of spoken dialogue in an otherwise sung-through musical.
verb
- To delay or postpone (an event).
- To allow (a person) extra time to fulfil some obligation.
Words closest in meaning
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