reap

reap — verb

1. to cut down ripe grain plants such as wheat or rice and gather them from the fie

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to cut down ripe grain plants such as wheat or rice and gather them from the field where they were grown

Example

Each autumn the farmers reap the rice fields before the weather turns cold.

reap + [field/grain] — direct object patterns

Noor watched the village elders reap the wheat by hand during the harvest festival.

Common collocations
  • reap wheat
  • reap rice
  • reap barley
  • reap oats
  • reap a field
  • reap by hand
  • reap with a machine
Synonyms
  • harvest

    broader term used for all types of crops, including fruit and vegetables

  • gather

    less specific and can be used for collecting any natural product, not just grain

  • collect

    focuses on the act of bringing things together rather than cutting them

Antonyms
  • sow

    the act of planting seeds, which happens before reaping

  • plant

    the general process of putting crops into the ground to grow

Grammar Patterns

reap + noun (grain crop or field)

reap (no object)

Usage Note

This literal sense is most often used for grain crops grown in large fields (wheat, rice, barley, oats). In modern English it is less common in daily conversation than the figurative sense.

Common Mistakes

My grandmother reaped vegetables from her garden.
My grandmother harvested vegetables from her garden.
'reap' refers specifically to grain crops, not garden vegetables or fruit.

2. to receive a good result, such as a reward or profit, because of the work you ha

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to receive a good result, such as a reward or profit, because of the work you have done or the choices you have made

Example

After years of study, Jenna reaped the rewards of her work with top exam scores.

reap the rewards of [effort] — common collocation

Companies that invest in staff training often reap long-term benefits in productivity and morale.

reap long-term benefits — typical object pattern

Common collocations
  • reap the benefits
  • reap the rewards
  • reap the profits
  • reap what you sow
  • reap satisfaction
  • reap the fruit(s) of
Synonyms
  • gain

    more general and neutral; does not have the effort-result implication of 'reap'

  • earn

    emphasises that the result is deserved because of work done

  • derive

    more formal and suggests receiving something from a specific source

  • obtain

    neutral and formal; works for both effort-based and passive acquisition

Antonyms
  • lose

    the opposite of gaining from effort

  • forfeit

    to lose something as a penalty, the reverse of earning a reward

Grammar Patterns

reap + noun (reward, benefit, profit, satisfaction)

reap + noun + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person, group, or organisation that has put in effort or made an investment. The object is almost always something desirable — benefits, rewards, profits, or satisfaction. Rarely used with negative results in modern English.

Common Mistakes

She reaped a punishment for being late.
She received a punishment for being late.
'reap' is normally used for positive outcomes, not negative ones.
Idioms

reap what you sow

idiom

to experience the results, whether good or bad, of your own past actions — used especially to say that someone's choices have naturally led to their current situation

Samir did not study all semester, and after failing the exam he learned that you reap what you sow.

The manager always treats her staff with respect, and she reaps what she sows — her team stays loyal year after year.

reap a/the harvest

idiom

To experience the good or bad results of your own past actions.

After years of hard work, Maya reaped the harvest of a successful business.

The company is now reaping the harvest of its poor environmental decisions.

you reap what you sow

idiom

Your actions will eventually bring you either rewards or punishments.

He treated his colleagues badly, and now he's reaping what he sowed.

If you study hard, you'll reap what you sow with good grades.

Word family

  • reaper
    nounC1
  • reaping
    nounC1
  • unreaped
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe receiving something, but 'reap' is unique in carrying the metaphor of harvesting: the result grows naturally from previous effort. 'Gain' is the most general and neutral — you can gain weight, experience, or ground, with or without effort. 'Earn' strongly implies that the result is deserved because of work, like earning a salary or earning trust. 'Derive' is more formal and points to a specific source, as in 'derive satisfaction from helping others.' 'Obtain' is neutral and formal, covering both effort-based acquisition and passive receipt. For a learner: use 'reap the rewards' to emphasise the effort-result link; use 'gain' for neutral contexts; use 'earn' when deservedness is important; use 'derive' in formal writing; and use 'obtain' for straightforward acquisition. Compare: 'She gained experience at the job' (neutral) vs. 'She reaped the rewards of her internship' (effort-result link).

gain ↗earn ↗derive ↗obtain ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • reap from

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

The word 'reap' comes from Old English ripan (or repan), meaning to cut grain with a knife or sickle. This word is related to similar verbs in other Germanic languages, such as Old Norse ripa (to scratch or tear). The literal agricultural sense has been in English since before the year 1000. By the 1300s, writers began using 'reap' in a figurative way — to describe gaining results from actions, much like a farmer gathers crops from planted seeds. This metaphorical use is now more common than the original farming sense.