What does "redound" mean?
A coming back, as an effect or consequence; a return.
Redound
noun, verb
noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A coming back, as an effect or consequence; a return.
- Grammar: redound is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: advantage, backfire, benefit, contribute.
- Useful contrasts: aid, assist, benefit.
- Usage evidence: For every dram of hony therein found / A pound of gall doth over it redound […].
How to use "redound"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "redound" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "redound" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "redound" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "redound" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "redound" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "advantage" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "redound", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A coming back, as an effect or consequence; a return.
Verb
- 1 To swell up (of water, waves etc.); to overflow, to surge (of bodily fluids). intransitive, obsolete
"For every dram of hony therein found / A pound of gall doth over it redound […]."
- 2 have an effect for good or ill wordnet
- 3 To contribute to an advantage or disadvantage for someone or something. intransitive
"The honour done to our religion ultimately redounds to God, the author of it."
- 4 contribute wordnet
- 5 To contribute to the honour, shame etc. of a person or organisation. intransitive
"I did not omit even our Sports and Paſtimes, or any other Particular which I thought might redound to the Honour of my Country."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 return or recoil wordnet
- 7 To reverberate, to echo. intransitive
- 8 To reflect (honour, shame etc.) to or onto someone. transitive
- 9 To attach, come back, accrue to someone; to reflect back on or upon someone (of honour, shame etc.). intransitive
"His infamous behaviour only redounded back upon him when he was caught."
- 10 To arise from or out of something. intransitive
- 11 To roll back; to be sent or driven back. intransitive, usually
"The evil, soon driven back, redounded as a flood on those from whom it sprung."
Example
"For every dram of hony therein found / A pound of gall doth over it redound […]."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "redound"?
Common synonyms include: advantage, backfire, benefit, contribute, credit, rebound.
How do you use "redound" in a sentence?
For every dram of hony therein found / A pound of gall doth over it redound […].
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman redunder, Middle French redonder, and their source, Latin redundō, from red- + undō (“surge”), from unda (“a wave”).