repose
1 Americannoun
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the state of resting or being at rest; sleep.
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peace; tranquility; calm.
rare moments of utter repose.
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dignified calmness, as of manner; composure.
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absence of movement, animation, etc..
When in repose, her face recalls the Mona Lisa.
verb (used without object)
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to lie or be at rest, as from work, activity, etc.
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to lie dead.
His body will repose in the chapel for two days.
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to be peacefully calm and quiet.
The sea reposed under the tropical sun.
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to lie or rest on something.
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Archaic. to depend or rely on a person or thing.
verb (used with object)
verb (used with object)
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to put (confidence, trust, etc.) in a person or thing.
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to put under the authority or at the disposal of a person.
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Archaic. to deposit.
noun
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a state of quiet restfulness; peace or tranquillity
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dignified calmness of manner; composure
verb
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to place (oneself or one's body) in a state of quiet relaxation; lie or lay down at rest
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(intr) to lie when dead, as in the grave
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formal (intr; foll by on, in, etc) to take support (from) or be based (on)
your plan reposes on a fallacy
verb
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to put (trust or confidence) in a person or thing
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to place or put (an object) somewhere
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of repose1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English verb reposen, from Middle French reposer, Old French, from Late Latin repausāre, equivalent to Latin re- re- + Late Latin pausāre “to rest” (derivative of Latin pausa pause )
Origin of repose2
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English reposen “to replace,” influenced by Latin reposuisse “to have put back,” perfect infinitive of repōnere; see re-, pose 1
Explanation
Repose is a formal or literary term used to mean the act of resting, or the state of being at rest. Repose is also a state of mind: freedom from worry. As a verb, repose means to rest or relax, or to rest on something for support: "There she was, reposing on the front porch." The verb is from Middle English, from Old French reposer, from Late Latin repausāre, "to cause to rest," from the Latin prefix re-, "again," plus pausāre, "to rest."
Vocabulary lists containing repose
The Great Gatsby
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Animal Farm
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"The Tell-Tale Heart," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
See Examples For:
When our granddaughter Raleigh, then 2, met Doc, he was in his bed in the kitchen, one of his five places of repose around our house.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
And although they recall many wordless moments of repose between takes, the shoot enlivened the actors far more than it exhausted them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
On Friday, hundreds gathered in the village to pay respect to Ms Whyte and her children as they lay in repose together.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2025
While her maybe-beau stays forced in repose, Iris cycles through all the different types of women she could be.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2025
“My name is Jane McKeene. I'm begging your pardon for disturbing your afternoon repose, ma'am, but I was directed to see you about lodgings, a bath, and the possibility of some sustenance.”
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
"I was so touched by the trust he reposed in me," he told the BBC.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
“She expressed a desire to vote and told me a little about her philanthropic work. She reposed great faith and confidence in Mr. Leno and relied on him for her protection and guidance.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
"I am humbled by the overwhelming vote of confidence reposed in me by the party," Mahama said shortly after the declaration.
From Reuters ● May 14, 2023
Manjuka Fernandopulle, a lawyer specializing in debt restructuring, said bondholders are “looking for a partner that believes in continuity, has credibility, legitimacy and confidence reposed in them by the people.”
From Washington Post ● Jul. 14, 2022
The shelf on which the cup reposed was out of reach for any of them, even Ron, who was tallest.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Monday’s trek rolled serenely past the Zenaruzza monastery and through hilly countryside under reposing blue skies, before crossing over into France.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 3, 2023
BJP workers celebrated the party’s showing in Gujarat state with the state’s top elected official, Bhupendra Patel, describing the win as “people reposing full faith in Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2022
On the end page of W T Palmer's 1939 book, there's an illustration of two exhausted but very contented little penguins, reposing on their haversacks.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2018
At the Boonville Hotel, a popular destination for Bay Area day-trippers, copies of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal lay in the sun, reposing like fattened felines.
From Newsweek ● Apr. 12, 2015
But here, now, reposing in his arms, weighing next to nothing but changing everything, is the second.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
