- redeem
- [[t]rɪdi͟ːm[/t]]
redeems, redeeming, redeemed1) VERB If you redeem yourself or your reputation, you do something that makes people have a good opinion of you again after you have behaved or performed badly.
[V n] He had realized the mistake he had made and wanted to redeem himself...
[V-ing] The sole redeeming feature of your behaviour is that you're not denying it.
2) VERB When something redeems an unpleasant thing or situation, it prevents it from being completely bad.[V n] Work is the way that people seek to redeem their lives from futility.
[V n] ...a long face with too prominent features that were redeemed by a fine pair of brown eyes...
[V-ing] It was not a year to linger in the memory even if it did have some redeeming features.
3) VERB If you redeem a debt or money that you have promised to someone, you pay money that you owe or that you promised to pay.[V n] The amount required to redeem the mortgage was ₤358,587...
[V n] Take the voucher to your local branch of Woolworths and it will be redeemed for one toy.
4) VERB If you redeem an object that belongs to you, you get it back from someone by repaying them money that you borrowed from them, after using the object as a guarantee.[V n] Make sure you know exactly what you will be paying back at the date upon which you plan to redeem the item.
5) VERB In religions such as Christianity, to redeem someone means to save them by freeing them from sin and evil.[V n] ...a new female spiritual force to redeem the world.
Syn:
English dictionary. 2008.