respite
Americannoun
-
a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief.
to toil without respite.
-
temporary suspension of the execution of a person condemned to death; reprieve.
- Synonyms:
- stay, postponement
noun
-
a pause from exertion; interval of rest
-
a temporary delay
-
a temporary stay of execution; reprieve
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of respite
First recorded in 1200–50; (for the noun) Middle English respit, from Old French, from Latin respectus “action of looking back, consideration, regard”; (for the verb) Middle English respiten, from Old French respitier, from Latin respectāre “to await, keep looking around,” from respicere “to look back”; see respect
Explanation
A respite is a break from something that's difficult or unpleasant. If you're cramming for exams, take an occasional walk to give yourself a respite from the intensity. Respite may look like it rhymes with despite, but this word has a stress on its first syllable (RES-pit). It comes from the Latin word respectus, meaning refuge, but we almost always use respite to describe a time, not a place, of relief. If you've been fighting with your partner, a visit from a friend might offer a brief respite from the argument, but the fight will pick up again when she leaves.
Vocabulary lists containing respite
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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List 4
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"The Raven"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Respite and relief came from prayer, ritual and the traditional Sabbath meals and menus that Ms. Ziegelman conjures with care.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
At the end of February, Light landed Jackson a bed at Harborview’s Medical Respite program, a stopgap shelter next to the hospital doctors use so they don’t have to discharge patients directly to the street.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 9, 2022
Respite services, where support workers take care of Matthew, have provided an important change of scenery and helped her own mental wellbeing.
From BBC • Aug. 24, 2021
Catholic Charities Respite Center itself can provide shelter for around 1,200 people.
From Fox News • Aug. 20, 2021
"Respite" is a lachrymose lament in five stanzas by the present critic.
From Writings in the United Amateur, 1915-1922 by Lovecraft, H. P. (Howard Phillips)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
