respite

Intermediatezipf 3.18

Pronunciation

/ˈrɛspɪt/(RES-pit)

Part of speech

nounformal

Chinese

暂歇；缓解；喘息

Definition

A short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.

Word family

  • (no common derivatives)

Collocations

  • brief respite
  • no respite
  • respite from
  • temporary respite
  • welcome respite
  • respite care

Examples

  1. 1.The weekend offered a brief respite from the relentless pressure of exam preparation. (temporary relief)
  2. 2.The ceasefire provided a welcome respite for civilians who had endured months of bombardment. (break from hardship)

Synonyms

  • relief/rɪˈliːf/— the feeling of being freed from pain or anxiety — broader
  • reprieve/rɪˈpriːv/— a cancellation or postponement of punishment
  • break/breɪk/— a pause — more informal

Etymology

from Latin "respectus" (a looking back, a refuge) — re- (back) + specere (to look) — looking back, hence pausing