- Today's Word
Reprieve
ri-PREEV
Definition
- (noun) A temporary relief or delay from punishment or an unpleasant situation.
- (verb) To grant a postponement or break from something difficult or undesirable.
Example
The student’s unexpected snow day was a much-needed reprieve from final exams.
Fun Fact
The word “reprieve” originally referred to delaying executions, making it a term of life-or-death importance. While today it’s used more broadly—whether for a break from stress or an extension on a deadline—it still carries the sense of a temporary escape from something pressing.
(noun) A burden, duty, or responsibility—especially one that is difficult or unwelcome.
The onus of proving the theory fell on the scientists who proposed it.
From Latin onus, meaning “load” or “burden.”