Respite

How to spell respite

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce respite

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does respite mean?

1. nounA short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.

Respite in a sentence

• The quiet weekend gave her a welcome respite from the demands of work.

• After months of constant rain, the dry afternoon offered brief respite.

Where does respite come from?

Language of origin: French

Respite came into English in the early 1200s from the Old French respit, meaning a delay, an extension of time, or a reprieve. That French word descended from the Latin respectus, which literally meant 'a looking back' or 'regard', and which is also the direct ancestor of the modern English word 'respect'. The Latin verb behind it was respicere, built from re- 'back' and specere 'to look', so the original image is of pausing to glance back rather than pressing relentlessly forward. In medieval usage a respite was often a formal postponement, especially a stay of execution or a delay in paying a debt, before the sense softened into the modern meaning of a welcome interval of rest from something difficult. The shared root with 'respect' is a useful spelling cue: both keep the -spe- spelling and trace back to the same idea of looking, even though only respite kept the calmer, restful sense.

How the word is built

• re- (back)
• spit (from respectus, 'a looking back, regard, refuge')
• -e