DictionaryAI

reward

ri-WORD/ɹɪˈwɔɹd/UKri-WAWD/ɹɪˈwɔːd/

Pluralrewards

Verbrewards, rewarding, rewarded

6 meanings of reward

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    Something good that you get for doing something well or helpful.

    Like a treat you give a dog when it learns a trick.

    The teacher gave each student a small reward for finishing the project.

    Dad promised us a reward if we cleaned the whole house.

    Similarpayment, recompense, meed

    Oppositepunishment

    Note
  2. 2
    verbtransitive
    To give someone something good because of what they did.

    The coach rewarded the players with ice cream after the win.

    We should reward kids when they tell the truth.

    Similarcompensate, recompense, repay, honor

    Oppositepunish, penalize

  3. 3
    nouncountable
    Money or a prize promised to anyone who does a certain thing, like finding a lost pet.

    The family offered a $500 reward for their missing cat.

    Police promised a reward to anyone with information about the robbery.

    Similarbounty

  4. 4
    verbtransitive
    To be a good result that makes up for hard work or effort.

    The sweet fruit rewards all the time you spend in the garden.

    A good grade will reward your hard work.

    Similarrepay, justify, compensate

    Note
  5. 5
    nouncountable
    What you get because of what you did, whether it is good or bad.

    A sore back was his reward for lifting boxes all day.

    Her reward for years of practice was a spot on the team.

    Similarconsequence

    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 6
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To give something, like money or land, as a prize or payment.
    Thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
    1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, rewarded means given, so one gave good and the other gave evil.
    Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1, 3, 5

From Old French reward, from a verb meaning 'to reward', built from re- plus a word meaning 'to guard or keep'. It came into English through Middle English and goes back to a Germanic (Frankish) source.

Meanings 2, 4, 6

From Anglo-Norman rewarder ('to reward'), made of re- plus a word meaning 'to guard or keep'. This traces back through Frankish and Proto-Germanic to a very old root meaning 'to cover, shelter, or guard'.