What does "reel" mean?
A shaky or unsteady gait.
Reel
/ɹiːl/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A shaky or unsteady gait.
- Grammar: reel is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: spool, avoid, be drunk, be intoxicated.
- Useful contrasts: cassette, composure, hesitation.
- Usage evidence: The jig, reel and hornpipe are the most popular Irish dances.
How to use "reel"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "reel" 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 "reel" 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 "reel" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "reel" 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 "reel" is acting as name, 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 "spool" 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 "reel", 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 shaky or unsteady gait.
"Doubtless the present game of chess was developed through just such fiddling; perhaps someone once thought that the drunken reel of the knight was hostile to the essence of Chess."
- 2 an American country dance which starts with the couples facing each other in two lines wordnet
- 3 A lively dance originating in Scotland.
"So strict is the kirk of Scotland, that one minister was unfrocked for writing a play (in former times); and another was sent about his business for being too fond of whiskey and of dancing the reel of Tullochgorum."
- 4 a lively dance of Scottish Highlanders; marked by circular moves and gliding steps wordnet
- 5 The music of this dance; often called a Scottish (or Scotch) reel.
"[…]sample the famed waters from the Scottish mountains like a native born, and last but not least, play a reel on the bagpipes in the big hall that set all the laddies and lassies dancing."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound wordnet
- 7 A kind of spool, turning on an axis, on which yarn, threads, lines, or the like, are wound.
"a log reel"
- 8 winder consisting of a revolving spool with a handle; attached to a fishing rod wordnet
- 9 A device consisting of radial arms with horizontal stats, connected with a harvesting machine, for holding the stalks of grain in position to be cut by the knives.
- 10 a roll of photographic film holding a series of frames to be projected by a movie projector wordnet
- 11 A short compilation of sample film work used as a demonstrative resume in the entertainment industry.
- 12 music composed for dancing a reel wordnet
- 13 A chronological collection of pictures or short videos published by a user on an app or website and typically only available for a short period. capitalized, sometimes
Verb
- 1 To wind on a reel.
- 2 wind onto or off a reel wordnet
- 3 To spin or revolve repeatedly.
- 4 walk as if unable to control one's movements wordnet
- 5 To unwind; to bring or acquire something by spinning or winding something else.
"He reeled off some tape from the roll and sealed the package."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis wordnet
- 7 To walk shakily or unsteadily; to stagger; move as if drunk or not in control of oneself.
"They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man."
- 8 To back off, step away, or sway backwards unsteadily and suddenly.
"He reeled back from the punch."
- 9 To make or cause to reel.
- 10 To have a whirling sensation; to be giddy.
"In these lengthened vigils his brain often reeled."
- 11 To be in shock. especially, figuratively
"New Jersey was reeling on Wednesday from the impact of Hurricane Sandy, which has caused catastrophic flooding here in Hoboken and in other New York City suburbs, destroyed entire neighborhoods across the state and wiped out iconic boardwalks in shore towns that had enchanted generations of vacationgoers."
- 12 To produce a mechanical insect-like song, as in grass warblers.
- 13 To roll. obsolete
"And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele."
- 14 To bring in or along. figuratively
"Frank stood at the sink, and began washing the plates. He realised if he was going to reel his great-aunt into his plan, he was going to have to do it very gently."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The jig, reel and hornpipe are the most popular Irish dances."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "reel"?
Common synonyms include: spool, avoid, be drunk, be intoxicated, blench, blink.
How do you use "reel" in a sentence?
The jig, reel and hornpipe are the most popular Irish dances.
How do you pronounce "reel"?
Pronounced /ɹiːl/.
Etymology
From Middle English reel, reele, from Old English rēol, hrēol, from Proto-West Germanic *hrehul, from Proto-Germanic *hrehulaz, *hrahilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *krek- (“to weave, beat”). Cognate with Icelandic ræl, hræll.