redeem
redeemed; redeeming; redeems
If you redeem yourself, you make up for wrongs by doing something that makes you seem good again, like when after being irritable and snappy with your grandmother, you redeem yourself by bringing her flowers and apologizing.
Redeem comes from the French rédimer, which means "to deliver," and which in turn comes from the Latin for "buy back." In Christianity you can be redeemed by renouncing your sins. Classic heroes fail and then redeem themselves with valiant acts. But redeem doesn't have to be religious or moral. When you turn in a glass bottle for recycling, you redeem it, just as you redeem your coupon for 20% off your next hamburger.
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exchange or buy back for money; under threat
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synonyms:
ransom
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type of:
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change, exchange, interchange
give to, and receive from, one another
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change, exchange, interchange
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pay off (loans or promissory notes)
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convert into cash; of commercial papers
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turn in (vouchers or coupons) and receive something in exchange
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type of:
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change, exchange, interchange
give to, and receive from, one another
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change, exchange, interchange
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save from sins
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restore the honor or worth of
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type of:
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reestablish, reinstate, restore
bring back into original existence, use, function, or position
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reestablish, reinstate, restore
Vocabulary lists containing redeem
Fred is your average, lovable dog who looks like his favorite hero, Duke, on the crime-fighting hit show Dog Squad. When Duke needs a stand-in, Fred fills in for him and discovers that Dog Squad action doesn't always stop on the screen.
Middle graders Bug and Frankie form a close friendship when they team up to uncover the identity of the LA-area criminal called the Midnight Marauder.
This list covers "Let America Be America Again," "Roberto Acuna Talks about Farm Workers," Keynote Address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and "The Right to Fail."
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