Respite

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛsˌpaɪt/

Definitions

1. A temporary period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant
2. A short break that provides relief or rest from a challenging situation or an unpleasant experience is known as a pause of alleviation
3. The term refers to a brief interval of comfort or recovery during a stressful or arduous time

Etymology: The word "respite" began as a legal and religious idea before it meant a pause. Its Latin ancestor "respectus" meant something like "looking back" or "consideration," and from that sense it came to mean deferral: a postponement granted to someone, such as a debtor or a condemned person, giving more time before an obligation fell due. Anglo-Norman and Old French "respit" carried that idea of delay and reprieve, and it is from this sense of granted time that the modern meaning of a welcome break developed. That origin explains the word's close relationship with "respect," which is a doublet: both descend from the same Latin "respectus" but entered English by different routes, with "respect" arriving with its sense of regard and consideration intact. The two words share a root in the Latin idea of looking back or again at something, so a respite is, in a sense, a moment when attention is turned away from the pressing demand.

Synonyms: break, recess, pause, intermission, relief

Antonyms: continuation, perpetuation, duration, instability, stress