reward
Americannoun
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rewards
plural
verb (used with object)
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rewards,
present (3rd person singular)
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rewarded,
past participle, past
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rewarding
present participle
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to recompense or requite (a person or animal) for service, merit, achievement, etc.
- Synonyms:
- remunerate, pay, compensate
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to make return for or requite (service, merit, etc.); recompense.
noun
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something given or received in return for a deed or service rendered
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a sum of money offered, esp for help in finding a criminal or for the return of lost or stolen property
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profit or return
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something received in return for good or evil; deserts
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psychol any pleasant event that follows a response and therefore increases the likelihood of the response recurring in the future
verb
Synonym Usage
Reward, prize, recompense imply something given in return for good. A reward is something given or done in return for good (or, more rarely, evil) received; it may refer to something abstract or concrete: a $50 reward; Virtue is its own reward. Prize refers to something concrete offered as a reward of merit, or to be contested for and given to the winner: to win a prize for an essay. A recompense is something given or done, whether as reward or punishment, for acts performed, services rendered, etc.; or it may be something given in compensation for loss or injury suffered, etc.: Renown was his principal recompense for years of hard work.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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rewardablenessnoun
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rewardernoun
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overrewardverb
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misrewardverb (used with object)
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superrewardverb (used with object)
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rewardableadjective
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rewardlessadjective
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unrewardableadjective
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unrewardedadjective
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well-rewardedadjective
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rewardablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rewardsimple
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rewardssimple
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have rewardedperfect
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has rewardedperfect
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am rewardingprogressive
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are rewardingprogressive
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is rewardingprogressive
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have been rewardingperfect progressive
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has been rewardingperfect progressive
Past
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rewardedsimple
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had rewardedperfect
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was rewardingprogressive
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were rewardingprogressive
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had been rewardingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reward
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (verb) rewarden originally, “to regard,” from Old North French rewarder “to look at,” variant of Old French reguarder; see origin at regard
Explanation
A reward is something you get for a job well done. If you study hard for that vocabulary test, an "A" might be the reward in your future. You can use reward as a verb, as when the mayor rewards a firefighter who saves a family from a terrible blaze, or as a noun, to talk about the actual payment or item that's given to the firefighter. People often offer a reward for the return of lost or stolen things, like bicycles or jewelry or dogs. Reward meant "a regarding" or "an observation" in the 1300's, but it soon came to mean "repayment for some service."
Vocabulary lists containing reward
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:
Anderson, 53, who now lives in Monmouthshire, said some modern workplaces and social influences reward psychopathic traits.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
While others raced to hire coaches the moment last season ended, the Raiders’ patience came with a reward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
“It will reward your curiosity,” says Amado Trevino, director of interactive media and experiences for Legendary Entertainment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Good managers will explain small raises to well-paid workers, says Tauseef Rahman, U.S. workforce reward solutions leader at professional-services firm Marsh, formerly known as Mercer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
For archaeologists and all others who regarded the real value of excavating shipwrecks to be something more than monetary reward, the Shinan ship was also a treasure ship.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Anderson said a lot of traits psychopaths possess are ones "that the corporate environment rewards" and are "incredibly useful in high-powered jobs in the city".
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
But once the debt is gone, I want to consider whether a travel rewards card could help offset the cost of trips I’m already planning to take — without encouraging me to spend more.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Part of what derailed the bill was a dispute between the banking lobby and crypto companies over whether crypto platforms can offer interest-like rewards to stablecoin holders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
It has also rejected comparisons to the prosperity gospel, the Christian theological movement that connects faith with material or financial rewards.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
More than a year after the manhunt ended, the government finally paid out the rewards.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Those who resist the urge to use their precious time doing anything else will be rewarded not with payoff, but indictment.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
Australia responded well with a wave of pressure which was rewarded when centre Len Ikitau drove over from a metre out.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
“It’s a sign you’re doing something correctly,” Quenneville said of his players being rewarded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
If you incur that risk and the market does well, you most likely will be handsomely rewarded for incurring that risk.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
On his triumphal return from that journey, he was rewarded with a knighthood for his efforts.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
It’s hard to move the needle at a market value of $5.5 trillion, both in terms of a company getting bigger and rewarding shareholders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
"Bringing a new category of aircraft to market is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and it is especially rewarding to do that here in Great Britain, drawing on the country's proud aviation heritage."
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Having an evidence-based framework could make the decision easier and more rewarding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
What’s the secret of a rich, rewarding retirement?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
“The world has a talent for rewarding bad behavior with stardom,” Scythe Curie said, as she viewed some of the videos that had been uploaded.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
