reap

American  

[reep] / rip /

verb (used with object)

• reaps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reaped,
  past participle,  past
• reaping
  present participle

1. to cut (wheat, rye, etc.) with a sickle or other implement or a machine, as in harvest.

2. to gather or take (a crop, harvest, etc.).

3. to get as a return, recompense, or result.

   to reap large profits.

   Synonyms:

   win, gain, realize, earn, gather

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verb (used without object)

• reaps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reaped,
  past participle,  past
• reaping
  present participle

1. to reap a crop, harvest, etc.

reap British  

/ riːp /

verb

1. to cut or harvest (a crop), esp corn, from (a field or tract of land)

2. (tr) to gain or get (something) as a reward for or result of some action or enterprise

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reapable
  adjective
• unreaped
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• reaping
  present
• reaped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reap
  simple
• reaps
  simple
• have reaped
  perfect
• has reaped
  perfect
• am reaping
  progressive
• are reaping
  progressive
• is reaping
  progressive
• have been reaping
  perfect progressive
• has been reaping
  perfect progressive

Past

• reaped
  simple
• had reaped
  perfect
• was reaping
  progressive
• were reaping
  progressive
• had been reaping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reap
  simple
• will have reaped
  perfect
• will be reaping
  progressive
• will have been reaping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of reap

before 900; Middle English repen, Old English repan, riopan; cognate with Middle Low German repen to ripple (flax); akin to ripe

Explanation

When you reap something, you enjoy the rewards of your efforts. When your great audition gets you cast in your dream role, you reap the benefits of all that rehearsing you did. Reap can also describe the act of harvesting crops. The farmer will then sell the crop, reaping a profit. Here, reap means the same as gain. You may have heard the expression "what you reap is what you sow," which comes from the New Testament and can apply to farming and everything else — if, for example, you are patient with other people, they in turn will be patient with you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reap reaps reaped reaping

Allison Ellsworth and her husband, founders of soda brand Poppi, maxed out their credit cards to build the company, wagering a sale could reap a bigger payday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Kateri’s section is quieter and methodical like its central hero, who slips undetected among this community to sow her chaos and reap her revenge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Saudi Arabia won't reap the economic rewards anytime soon.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

But if investors can stick it out, they could reap the rewards, analysts say.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

They follow a pledge by leader Kim Jong Un to bolster nuclear forces, as Pyongyang reaps the benefits of deeper ties with Russia and sharpens its invective against US ally South Korea.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

The party also reaps domestic gains from its push for cultural appeal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026

Mykhailo Podolyak, a long-term aide to President Zelensky added: "War is war, with its own rules, where the aggressor inevitably reaps corresponding outcomes."

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2024

There’s evidence that having more local folks involved in food production reaps benefits for a community even in a place with urban sprawl like Los Angeles, De la Haye said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2024

"What a man sows on his name day, he reaps throughout the year."

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

The gains were helped by international growth, as bigger artists went on bigger tours and Live Nation reaped the rewards of venue purchases in cities like Paris and Milan.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Banks reaped the rewards of the historic initial public offering of SpaceX, with other blockbuster stock-market debuts such as OpenAI in the pipeline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

On a sweltering Friday back at his home ground, Duckett reaped the rewards with a swashbuckling century to keep England in their deciding third Test against New Zealand.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

The emergence of electric vehicles, hybrids and more fuel-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles is part of the reason, even as those fuel efficiencies are mostly reaped by the well-heeled Americans who can afford the newer cars.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026

The millet was reaped with stone knives, piled into haystacks, and threshed to obtain the seeds, which were then stored in skin bags or wooden dishes and finally ground with millstones.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Now, the commodities tycoon is reaping the benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

He needed to be patient to overcome an issue which lingers if not properly rested and, having played consistently over the past two seasons, is now reaping the rewards.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

However, some have been more cynical about big tech firms reaping billions in annual revenue putting up product prices.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Wall Street is confident companies like Micron will keep reaping the benefits of that.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

"Without success. So, in a way, my name being drawn in the reaping was a real piece of luck," says Peeta.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• bring in
• derive
• gain
• garner
• obtain
• produce
• realize
• receive
• recover
• take in