respite
noun
a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief.
respites
-
pluralof respite.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
There were brief respites, but things seldom got easier: “The wind whipped up at noon and sleet came smacking down,” Mr. Tesson recalls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025
There are some respites from the training, the running and marching, the room full of tear gas, the dead man’s float test, the hand-to-hand combat, the flower planting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025
These six podcasts offer respites for your brain, delivering tales that are diverting enough to keep you focused, but uneventful enough that you can doze off.
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2024
Even for malaria the respites may be transient.
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 25, 2023
Her crimes had seemed minimal, but now Ophie could not help but see her afternoon respites through her mother’s eyes, and shame ran through her, hot and itchy.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
