# res

/ˈɹeɪz/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/res
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. screen resolution

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Technical

a short way to say 'resolution', meaning how clear an image or screen is.

For teachers: a clipping of 'resolution', referring to the number of pixels or level of detail in a digital image or display.

- The game looks much better if you play it in high res.
- The designer insisted on exporting the assets in high res to ensure the print quality met the client's exacting standards.

### 2. student housing

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · British English

a short word for a university building where students live.

For teachers: a clipping of 'residence', specifically referring to university-provided student accommodation.

- Most first-year students choose to live in res to meet new people.
- Living in res during the first year of university often facilitates a smoother social transition, though it can be significantly noisier than private housing.

### 3. Indigenous territory

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

a short word for a reservation, which is land set aside for Indigenous people.

For teachers: a clipping of 'reservation' or 'reserve', denoting land managed by or for Indigenous communities.

- He grew up on the res and still visits his family there every summer.
- The documentary explores the economic challenges faced by youth living on the res while highlighting successful community-led initiatives.

### 4. to bring back to life

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

to bring a dead character back to life in a video game.

For teachers: a clipping of 'resurrect', used as a transitive verb within gaming communities to describe reviving a defeated player or unit.

- Can you res me? I died right next to the boss.
- The healer managed to res the entire party just seconds before the final phase of the encounter began.

Usage: Often used as a transitive verb taking a direct object representing the player or character.

## Examples

- The game looks much better in high res.
- If you upload the photo in low res, it will look blurry when printed on a large poster.
- Professional photographers often capture images in the highest possible res to ensure that no fine textures are lost during the post-production and cropping phases.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.