respect

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English

Etymology

From Middle English respect, from Old French respect, also respit (respect, regard, consideration), from Latin respectus (a looking at, regard, respect), perfect passive participle of respiciō (look at, look back upon, respect), from re- (back) + speciō (to see). Doublet of respite.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɹɪˈspɛkt/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛkt
  • Hyphenation: re‧spect
  • (file)

Noun

respect (countable and uncountable, plural respects)

  1. (uncountable) an attitude of consideration or high regard
    Synonyms: deference, esteem, consideration, regard, fealty, reverence, aught
    He is an intellectual giant, and I have great respect for him.
    • 2022 October 15, “Tajik President's Demand For 'Respect' From Putin Viewed Millions Of Times On YouTube”, in Radio Free Europe, archived from the original on 17 October 2022:
      A video of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon complaining to Russian President Vladimir Putin about his lack of respect for the countries of Central Asia that were once part of the Soviet Union has struck a nerve on social media, where it has been viewed millions of times. []
      “We have always respected the interests of our main strategic partner,” Rahmon said, referring to Russia. “We want respect, too."
  2. (uncountable) good opinion, honor, or admiration
    Synonyms: admiration, esteem, reverence, regard, recognition, veneration, honor
  3. (uncountable, always plural) Polite greetings, often offered as condolences after a death.
    The mourners paid their last respects to the deceased poet.
  4. (countable) a particular aspect, feature or detail of something
    Synonyms: aspect, dimension, face, facet, side
    This year's model is superior to last year's in several respects.
  5. Good will; favor

Usage notes

  • Adjectives often applied to "respect": great, high, utmost, absolute

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

respect (third-person singular simple present respects, present participle respecting, simple past and past participle respected)

  1. To have respect for.
    She is an intellectual giant, and I respect her greatly.
  2. To have regard for something, to observe a custom, practice, rule or right.
    I respect your right to hold that belief, although I think it is nonsense.
    I respect your right to feel offended, even though most people, myself included, totally disagree and don’t find the comment offensive in the slightest.
  3. To abide by an agreement.
    They failed to respect the treaty they had signed, and invaded.
  4. To take notice of; to regard as worthy of special consideration; to heed.
  5. (transitive, dated except in "respecting") To relate to; to be concerned with.
    • 1674, John Owen, Pneumatologia:
      Whatever they are else, they are always chastisements; and correction respects faults.
    • 1806, James Lee, An Introduction to Botany:
      Glandulation respects the secretory vessels, which are either glandules, follicles, or utricles.
    • 1859 December 13, Charles Dickens, “The Mortals in the House”, in Charles Dickens, editor, The Haunted House. The Extra Christmas Number of All the Year Round , volume II, London: C. Whiting, , →OCLC, page 4, column 2:
      I hope I may never again be in a state of mind so unchristian as the mental frame in which I lived for some weeks, respecting the memory of Master B.
  6. (obsolete) To regard; to consider; to deem.
  7. (obsolete) To look toward; to face.
    • 1650, Thomas Browne, “Of East and West”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: , 2nd edition, London: A Miller, for Edw Dod and Nath Ekins, , →OCLC, 6th book, page 263:
      That Palladius adviſeth the front of his edifice ſhould ſo reſpect the South, that in the firſt angle it receive the riſing raies of the winter Sunne, and decline a little from the winter ſetting thereof.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Sranan Tongo: respeki

Translations

Interjection

respect

  1. (Jamaica) hello, hi

References

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French respect, from Old French respect, from Latin respectus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /rɛsˈpɛkt/, /rəˈspɛkt/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: res‧pect
  • Rhymes: -ɛkt

Noun

respect n (uncountable)

  1. respect
    Synonym: eerbied

Derived terms

Descendants

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin respectus. Doublet of répit.

Pronunciation

Noun

respect m (plural respects)

  1. respect

Derived terms

Descendants

Further reading

Anagrams

Jamaican Creole

Alternative forms

Etymology

From English respect.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɹɪsˌspɛk/
  • Hyphenation: res‧pect

Interjection

respect

  1. greetings, hello, hi
    A: Wah gwaan? B: Respect!
    A: Hello! B: Hi!
    (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
  2. bye, goodbye
    A: Tek it easy. B: Respect!
    A: Take it easy. B: Bye!
    (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

See also

Noun

respect

  1. respect
    Synonym: ratings
    Run whey di two a dem, dem nuh have nuh respect fi yuh.
    Get rid of both of them. They have no respect for you.
    • 2020, Romardo Lyons, “Mixed reactions to state of emergency”, in The Jamaica Star (in English):
      “Our problem is that the police dem nah deal with people wid nuh respect. []
      Our problem is that the police aren't approaching the people with respect.

Derived terms

Verb

respect

  1. respect
    Synonym: rate
    Yuh done know seh mi respect yuh whole heap.
    You already know that I respect you a lot.
    • 2020, “DANCING DEATHTRAPS - Dancers risking serious injuries doing stunts”, in The Jamaica Star (in English):
      “Dem a tek too much risk wid dem life and nuff a dem nuh respect dem body []
      They're taking too many risks with their life and a lot of them don't respect their body.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French respect, Latin respectus.

Pronunciation

Noun

respect n (uncountable)

  1. respect, consideration, deference, esteem, regard
    Synonym: stimă

Declension

Related terms

Further reading