Word
repose
Phoneticsre·pose, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹiˈpoʊz/
UK/ɹɪpˈəʊz/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a state of rest or peace. It is often used to describe a quiet place or a calm person.
n. a state of rest, peace, or quiet. Often used in literary contexts to describe a tranquil environment or a person's calm demeanor.
Examples
“The garden is a place of quiet repose.”
“After a long day of hiking, the travelers found a quiet spot by the lake for their evening repose.”
“The statue's serene expression and relaxed posture suggest a state of eternal repose, contrasting sharply with the chaotic energy of the surrounding city.”
Examples
simple
“The garden is a place of quiet repose.”
contextual
“After a long day of hiking, the travelers found a quiet spot by the lake for their evening repose.”
complex
“The statue's serene expression and relaxed posture suggest a state of eternal repose, contrasting sharply with the chaotic energy of the surrounding city.”
Real-World Examples
“Brutal climaxes were suitably overwhelming, but equally striking was the refined string sound in occasional moments of repose.” “Dzhango lights a candle – according to tradition, a candle is lit either for the health of the living or for the repose of those no longer here.” Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English reposen (“to rest”), from Anglo-Norman reposer, reposir, and Middle French reposer, from Old French reposer, repauser (“to become calm; to be peaceful; to rest; to be immobile; to lie or be placed; to cease, stop; to neglect”) (modern French reposer), from Latin repausāre, the present active infinitive of repausō (“(Late Latin) to be at rest; to lie down, rest; to sleep; to calm, pacify; (Latin) to halt temporarily, pause”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again; back, backwards’) + pausō (“to cease, halt; to pause”) (from pausa (“a halt, stop; a pause; an end”), from Ancient Greek παῦσῐς (paûsĭs, “ceasing, stopping”), from παύω (paúō, “to cease; to make to cease, stop; to bring to an end; to hinder”) (further etymology uncertain; possibly from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, little; smallness”)) + -σῐς (-sĭs, suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result)). The noun is derived from Late Middle English repose, from Anglo-Norman repous, repos, and Middle French repos, repose, from Old French repos (“calm; rest; period or state of sleep; state of immobility; state of inaction”) (modern French repos), from reposer, repauser (verb) (see above). Noun etymology 1 sense 12.3 (“technique of including in a painting an area or areas which are dark, indistinct, or soft in tone”) is borrowed from French repos. Cognates Catalan reposar (verb), repòs (noun) Italian riposare (verb), riposo (noun) Old Occitan repausar, repauzar (verb), repaus (noun) Portuguese repousar (verb), repouso (noun) Spanish reposar (verb), reposo (noun)
From Middle English reposen (“to put (something) back, replace”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again; back, backwards’) + posen (“to place (something)”), modelled after Latin repōnō (“to put back; to restore; to store”). Posen is derived from Old French poser (“to place, put”) (modern French poser), from Vulgar Latin pausāre, from Latin pausāre, the present active infinitive of pausō (see further at etymology 1), influenced by pōnere, the present active infinitive of pōnō (“to lay, place, put”).
From re- + pose.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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