ENGLISH
REFERENCE

repair

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ɹɪˈpɛɹ// re·pair General-service

n. the act of fixing something that is broken or damaged. It can also mean the place on an object where it was fixed.

n. the act or process of restoring something damaged, faulty, or worn to good condition. Often used to refer to the specific site of such restoration.


SIMPLE

The car needs a major repair after the accident.

CONTEXTUAL

The landlord promised to finish the roof repair before the rainy season begins next month.

COMPLEX

While the structural repair was technically sound, the visible scarring on the antique table significantly reduced its value at the auction.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

Coined between 1300 and 1350 from Middle English repairen, from Middle French reparer, from Latin reparō (“renew, repair”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English repairen (“to return”), from Old French repairier, from Late Latin repatriare (“to return to one's country”), from re- + patria (“homeland”). Cognate to repatriate.

Etymology 3

From re- + pair.

Usage

Often used in the plural ('repairs') when referring to ongoing maintenance work on a building or vehicle.

Pitfall

The car is in repairThe car is being repairedLearners often use 'in repair' as a state, but 'under repair' or the passive voice is the standard way to describe an ongoing fix.

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