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.
See Examples For:
It came as respite for Gulf shipping and the oil industry, with international benchmark Brent dropping six percent to around $86 a barrel.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The price of home heating oil is on the rise again after a period of respite.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
France is sweltering in the third major heatwave in less than two months, with Paris expected to see temperatures of 35C Tuesday and a slight respite only awaited later in the week.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Andy Burnham took a brief respite from his campaign to become the next Labour leader and prime minister to attend the ceremony.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
A wave of horrifying images with a brief respite I confuse with waking—only to find another wave knocking me back.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
They were blessed respites from the morning breakfast rush and carpool.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 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
Last decade he toured big European venues and festivals between respites in Berlin or California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2024
Even for malaria the respites may be transient.
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 25, 2023
She knew she was heading somewhere for another of her brief respites from Orlando’s paperness.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
He respited the execution of the prisoners; and on the case being reported to the king in council, the Bishop of Chester, Dr. Bridgman, was required to investigate the circumstances.
From Discovery of Witches The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster by Potts, Thomas, fl. 1612-1618
On the intercession of 'some divines of the church of Winchester' execution was respited till 2nd of September; and her sentence was afterwards commuted to beheading.
From State Trials, Political and Social Volume 1 (of 2) by Stephen, Harry Lushington, Sir
Dick felt as if he had been respited after condemnation, and began to breathe freely.
From The Queen's Scarlet The Adventures and Misadventures of Sir Richard Frayne by Smith, A. Monro
So, again I was respited; but I knew it to be only a respite, for the bushes were few, and I could find no sign of others or of t'samma.
From A Rip Van Winkle Of The Kalahari Seven Tales of South-West Africa by Cornell, Frederick
For a whole century God has respited mankind, that it might acknowledge the Founder of such a Revelation, espouse His Cause, proclaim His greatness, and establish His Order.
From The Promised Day Is Come by Shoghi Effendi
By this simple sentence a flood of light is thrown on the fact of respiting him alone amongst the four men admittedly concerned in the rescue.
From The Dock and the Scaffold by Unknown
The respiting of the burning of the hand till the king's pardon could be obtained was not to put him in a worse condition than he would have been in had he been actually burnt.
From State Trials Vol. 2 (of 2) Political and Social by Various
Then they made a last attempt in his favour, and voted for respiting the execution.
From Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2 by Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron
Then they made a last attempt in his favor, and voted for respiting the execution.
From Critical and Historical Essays, Volume III (of 3) by Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron
"There is one strange fact about this," said the governor of the prison to Harkaway, "and that is, that one of the prisoners has taken the liberty of respiting himself."
From Jack Harkaway and His Son's Escape from the Brigand's of Greece by Hemyng, Bracebridge
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.
