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

redeem

verb
 
/rɪˈdiːm/
 
/rɪˈdiːm/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they redeem
 
/rɪˈdiːm/
 
/rɪˈdiːm/
he / she / it redeems
 
/rɪˈdiːmz/
 
/rɪˈdiːmz/
past simple redeemed
 
/rɪˈdiːmd/
 
/rɪˈdiːmd/
past participle redeemed
 
/rɪˈdiːmd/
 
/rɪˈdiːmd/
-ing form redeeming
 
/rɪˈdiːmɪŋ/
 
/rɪˈdiːmɪŋ/
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  1. redeem somebody/something to make somebody/something seem less bad synonym compensate
    • The excellent acting wasn't enough to redeem a weak plot.
    • The only redeeming feature of the job (= good thing about it) is the salary.
    • She seems to have no redeeming qualities (= good aspects of her character) at all.
    • In an attempt to redeem the situation, Jed offered to help sell tickets.
    Synonyms savesaverescue bail out redeemThese words all mean to prevent somebody/​something from dying, losing something, being harmed or embarrassed.save to prevent somebody/​something from dying, being harmed or destroyed or losing something:
    • Doctors were unable to save him.
    • a campaign to save the panda from extinction
    rescue to save somebody/​something from a dangerous or harmful situation:
    • They were rescued by a passing cruise ship.
    bail somebody out to rescue somebody/​something from a difficult situation, especially by providing money:
    • Don’t expect me to bail you out if it all goes wrong.
    redeem (formal, religion) to save somebody from the power of evil:
    • He was a sinner, redeemed by the grace of God.
    Redeem is also used in non-religious language in the phrase redeem a situation, which means to prevent a situation from being as bad as it might be.
    Patterns
    • to save/​rescue/​redeem somebody/​something from something
    • to save/​rescue/​redeem a situation
    • to save/​redeem sinners/​mankind
    • to rescue somebody/​bail somebody out financially
  2. redeem yourself to do something to improve the opinion that people have of you, especially after you have done something bad
    • He has a chance to redeem himself after last week's mistakes.
  3. redeem somebody (in Christianity) to save somebody from the power of evil
    • Christians believe that Jesus Christ came to redeem us from sin.
    • He knew he was a sinner, redeemed by the grace of God.
    Topics Religion and festivalsc2
  4. redeem something to pay the full sum of money that you owe somebody; to pay a debt
    • to redeem a loan/mortgage
  5. redeem something to exchange something such as shares or vouchers for money or goods
    • This voucher can be redeemed at any of our branches.
  6. redeem something to get back a valuable object from somebody by paying them back the money you borrowed from them in exchange for the object
    • He was able to redeem his watch from the pawnshop.
  7. redeem a pledge/promise (formal) to do what you have promised that you will do
  8. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘buy back’): from Old French redimer or Latin redimere, from re- ‘back’ + emere ‘buy’.
See redeem in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee redeem in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
trait
noun
 
 
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