respite

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 9, 2024 is: respite \RESS-pit\ noun Respite refers to a short period of time when someone is able to stop doing something that is difficult or unpleasant, or when something difficult or unpleasant stops or is delayed. // The long weekend provided a nice respite from the pressures of her job. // The station's meteorologist had predicted that the bad weather would continue through the week without respite. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respite) Examples: "Shaded spots are necessary for a respite from the North Texas sun. If your deck or patio isn't covered, add a stylish umbrella to the mix." — Ryan Conner and Mary Grace Granados, The Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2023 Did you know? Everyone needs a little [R & R](https://bit.ly/45anEjF) from time to time. That's where respite comes in handy: this word was first used in the 14th century to refer to a delay or extension asked for or granted for a specific reason, such as to give someone time to deliberate on a proposal. This kind of respite offered an opportunity for the kind of consideration inherent in this word's etymology: respite traces from the Latin term respectus (also the source of English's [respect](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respect)), which comes from respicere, a verb with both concrete and abstract meanings: "to turn around to look at" or "to regard." Within a few decades of its earliest known use, English speakers had granted respite the sense we use most often today—"a welcome break."