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redound

Use the verb redound in formal situations to mean "contribute." You could tell your friend that his patience with unruly children will redound to his reputation as a good school bus driver.

Redound only shows up in the most formal speech and writing, but it's a good way to describe an effect on someone's good name or prestige. Your travels around Asia will redound to your fame as an adventurous traveler, while your unwillingness to talk to your neighbors could redound to your unfriendly reputation. Originally, redound described something that overflows which is the meaning of the Latin root word, redundare.

DEFINITIONS OF: redound

1

v have an effect for good or ill

“Her efforts will redound to the general good”
Type of:
affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch, touch on
have an effect upon

v contribute

“Everything redounded to his glory”
Type of:
accrue
grow by addition

v return or recoil

“Fame redounds to the heroes”
Type of:
return
return in kind
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