recompense
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To give compensation for an injury, or other type of harm or damage.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
rehkuhmpensSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɹɛkəmpɛns
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
To give compensation for an injury, or other type of harm or damage.
To reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
transitive
To give (something) in return; to pay back; to pay, as something earned or deserved.
noun
An equivalent returned for anything given, done, or suffered; compensation; reward; amends; requital.
That which compensates for an injury, or other type of harm or damage.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To give compensation for an injury, or other type of harm or damage.
Used this way, recompense is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It carries more force than its gentler alternatives. It turns up most in personal or emotional discussion and literature or storytelling contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Strong
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Everyday but emotionally strong
Where it naturally appears
- Personal/emotional discussion
- Literature/storytelling
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.