regift

American  

[ree-gift] / riˈgɪft /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to give (an unwantedgift ) to someone else.

---

noun

1. an unwanted gift that is given away.

Other Word Forms

• regifter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of regift

First recorded in 1995–2000; re- + gift

Explanation

To regift is to take a present you received and give it to someone else. If you'll never wear the striped sweater your aunt knitted for your birthday, you should regift it. Everyone gets gifts that aren't quite right sometimes. You might receive a jacket that doesn't fit, a candle that smells weird to you, or a fancy chocolate bar with nuts (and you're allergic). In cases like these, you can regift, giving the jacket to your sister for her birthday, bringing the candle to a housewarming party, and putting the chocolate in your dad's Christmas stocking. Regift adds re-, "again," to the verb gift, "give as a gift."

Example Sentences

"If your aunt has given you a jumper that you didn't like, do not regift this to your cousin," she says.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

Andrea Woroch, a money-saving expert, says that if making a return isn’t possible or if you want to avoid the return fee, another option is to regift the item or sell it online.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 18, 2023

My mother quickly absconded with it, declaring it a perfect regift.

From Salon • Sep. 13, 2021

Holguin Pineda was intrigued by the Facebook group, one of a network of thousands across the world where people regift items to neighbors instead of throwing them away.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2021

“Hershey’s is chocolate. Perugina is something you save in a drawer because it’s too expensive to eat, and then you regift it at Christmas.”

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin