Reverse Meaning
/ɹɪˈvɜːs/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjOpposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction.
adjPertaining to engines, vehicle movement etc. moving in a direction opposite to the usual direction.
Sentence Examples
You need to reverse your vest, it's back to front.
He did the reverse of what I asked.
This problem is the reverse of the previous one.
CEFR Practice Quiz
When the road ended, the driver had to ____ the car carefully.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The driver had to ____ carefully out of the narrow lane to allow the oncoming lorry to pass.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English revers, from Anglo-Norman revers, Middle French revers, and their source, Latin reversus, perfect passive participle of reversō, from re- + versō. Doublet of revers.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The man was killed to feed his image fat / Within this pictured world that ran reverse, / Where miracles alone were ever plain."
— 1963, Donal Serrell Thomas, Points of Contact:
"By a reverse of fortune, Stephen becomes rich."
— 1808, Charles Lamb, Specimens of the English Dramatic Poets Who Lived About the Time of Shakespeare:
"And the cold truth such sad reverse did seem
As to awake in grief from some delightful dream."
— 1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 192:
"Simon Forman was notorious in his day, and was a many of many reverses."
— 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 156:
"In fact, though the Russians did not yet know it, the British had met with a reverse."
— 1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 309:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
When the road ended, the driver had to ____ the car carefully.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The driver had to ____ carefully out of the narrow lane to allow the oncoming lorry to pass.