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Definition of repeat verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

repeat

verb
 
/rɪˈpiːt/
 
/rɪˈpiːt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they repeat
 
/rɪˈpiːt/
 
/rɪˈpiːt/
he / she / it repeats
 
/rɪˈpiːts/
 
/rɪˈpiːts/
past simple repeated
 
/rɪˈpiːtɪd/
 
/rɪˈpiːtɪd/
past participle repeated
 
/rɪˈpiːtɪd/
 
/rɪˈpiːtɪd/
-ing form repeating
 
/rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/
 
/rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/
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    say/write again

  1. [transitive] to say or write something again or more than once
    • repeat something to repeat a question/a claim/an assertion/a warning
    • to repeat a phrase/mantra
    • She repeated the word several times.
    • I'm sorry—could you repeat that?
    • She kept repeating his name softly over and over again.
    • The opposition have been repeating their calls for the president's resignation.
    • Are you prepared to repeat these allegations in court?
    • I mentioned it before, but it bears (= is worth) repeating.
    • repeat yourself Do say if I'm repeating myself (= if I have already said this).
    • repeat that… He's fond of repeating that the company's success is all down to him.
    • repeat + speech ‘Are you really sure?’ she repeated.
    Extra Examples
    • ‘Oh,’ she repeated lamely.
    • I can only repeat what I have already said to other journalists.
    • That message was still being repeated ad nauseam on the radio.
    • She kept repeating it over and over again like a robot.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • just
    • merely
    • simply
    verb + repeat
    • can only
    • be necessary to
    • need to
    preposition
    • after
    • to
    phrases
    • keep repeating somebody/​something
    See full entry
  2. [intransitive, transitive] used to emphasize something that you have already said
    • The claims are, I repeat, totally unfounded.
    • Nor, to repeat, can these changes be avoided.
    • repeat something I am not, repeat not, travelling in the same car as him!
  3. what somebody else said

  4. [transitive] to say something that somebody else has said, especially in order to learn it
    • repeat something The teacher's statement is then repeated by the students.
    • repeat something after somebody Listen and repeat each sentence after me.
    • repeat what… Can you repeat what I've just said word for word?
    • repeat + speech ‘We were both asleep and didn’t hear anything,’ she repeated.
    Extra Examples
    • students repeating drills parrot-fashion
    • The students repeated each sentence after their teacher.
    • He repeated what she had said word for word.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • just
    • merely
    • simply
    verb + repeat
    • can only
    • be necessary to
    • need to
    preposition
    • after
    • to
    phrases
    • keep repeating somebody/​something
    See full entry
  5. [transitive] to tell somebody something that you have heard or been told by somebody else
    • repeat something to somebody I don't want you to repeat a word of this to anyone.
    • repeat something The rumour has been widely repeated in the press.
    Extra Examples
    • Why did you go and repeat what I said to Ian?
    • You must not repeat this to anyone.
    • She faithfully repeated everything he had told her.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • just
    • merely
    • simply
    verb + repeat
    • can only
    • be necessary to
    • need to
    preposition
    • after
    • to
    phrases
    • keep repeating somebody/​something
    See full entry
  6. do again

  7. [transitive, intransitive] to do or produce something again or more than once
    • repeat something to repeat a mistake/process
    • to repeat an experiment/exercise
    • Organizers are hoping to repeat the success of last year's event.
    • He won his first Monaco Grand Prix in 1994 and repeated the feat in 1995, 1997 and 1999.
    • The treatment should be repeated every two to three hours.
    • They are hoping to repeat last year's victory.
    • These offers are unlikely to be repeated.
    • The programmes will be repeated next year.
    • to repeat a class/year/grade (= in a school, to take a class/year/grade again)
    • Lift and lower the right leg 20 times. Repeat with the left leg.
    Extra Examples
    • Try not to repeat your mistakes.
    • They constantly repeat the same mistakes.
    • There is no point in merely repeating what we've done before.
    • It may be necessary to repeat the dose several times to effect a cure.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • just
    • merely
    • simply
    verb + repeat
    • can only
    • be necessary to
    • need to
    preposition
    • after
    • to
    phrases
    • keep repeating somebody/​something
    See full entry
  8. happen again

  9. [transitive, intransitive] to happen more than once in the same way
    • repeat something/itself History has a strange way of repeating itself.
    • This phrase is repeated at intervals throughout the song.
    • a repeating pattern/design
    • A single note repeated over and over again, throbbing in my head.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • just
    • merely
    • simply
    verb + repeat
    • can only
    • be necessary to
    • need to
    preposition
    • after
    • to
    phrases
    • keep repeating somebody/​something
    See full entry
  10. of food

  11. [intransitive] repeat (on somebody) (British English, informal) if food repeats, you can taste it for some time after you have eaten it
    • Do you find that onions repeat on you?
  12. Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French repeter, from Latin repetere, from re- ‘back’ + petere ‘seek’.
See repeat in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee repeat in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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