SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
reprieve
noun
A temporary suspension of punishment or a brief relief from difficulty.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Temporary relief or delay
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topA reprieve delays a burden or penalty or brings temporary relief. It does not necessarily cancel the underlying obligation or punishment.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See reprieve in use
The revised deadline gave the tired team a welcome reprieve.
The group's resolve to finish the play remained firm, but its members were becoming tired. A postponement of the inspection deadline gave them a brief reprieve from the immediate pressure to complete every panel.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license