reword

IPA/ˌriːˈwɜːd/
KK[riwˈɚd]IPA/ˌriːˈwɜːrd/

reword — verb

  • rewordpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • rewordshe / she / it
  • rewordedpast simple
  • rewording-ing form

1. to change the words you use to express an idea, especially so that the meaning b

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to change the words you use to express an idea, especially so that the meaning becomes clearer, the tone more suitable, or the language more acceptable.

Example

Dahlia asked her editor to reword the opening paragraph of her article.

SVO pattern: reword + direct object (written text)

The teacher suggested that Bao reword his answer to make it sound more polite.

reword + noun phrase + infinitive of purpose

Common collocations
  • reword carefully
  • reword slightly
  • reword completely
  • reword a sentence
  • reword a paragraph
  • reword a clause
  • reword a question
  • reword a letter
Synonyms
  • rephrase

    more neutral; works for both writing and speech

  • paraphrase

    suggests restating the full meaning at roughly the same length, often to simplify

  • rewrite

    broader; can involve reorganising structure, not just changing words

  • recast

    more formal; implies a significant structural change to the wording

Antonyms
  • quote

    to repeat exactly, without any rewording

  • copy

    to reproduce the original wording unchanged

Grammar Patterns

reword + noun phrase

Usage Note

The object is almost always a piece of text (sentence, paragraph, letter, clause, document, question). Does not apply to changing spoken words on the fly — use 'rephrase' for speech.

Common Mistakes

She reworded her speech just before going on stage.
She rephrased her speech just before going on stage.
'reword' generally refers to writing, not spontaneous speech.
I need to reword this sentence into Spanish.
I need to translate this sentence into Spanish.
'reword' means changing wording within the same language, not translating between languages.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs describe expressing something again, but they differ in scope and register. 'Rephrase' is the most neutral and works for both speech and writing; you can rephrase a question on the spot. 'Paraphrase' implies restating a complete passage in your own words at roughly the same length, often to check understanding or simplify difficult material. 'Reword' is narrower — it focuses on word-level substitution in writing, usually to improve clarity, tone, or politeness. 'Rewrite' is the broadest: it can involve reorganising paragraphs, changing the structure, and adding or removing content. 'Recast' is formal and suggests a thorough transformation of the wording. For example: a student might paraphrase a textbook passage in their essay, then reword one awkward sentence, and finally rewrite the whole conclusion.

rephraseparaphrase ↗rewrite ↗recast

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Etymology

English

Formed in English around the early 1600s by combining the prefix 're-' (meaning 'again') with the noun 'word'. The verb was originally used in legal and scholarly writing to describe editing or revising a text to make it more precise.

First known use

1602

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1