redeem

redeem — verb

1. to make a bad situation, fault, or poor-quality thing seem less unpleasant or mo

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make a bad situation, fault, or poor-quality thing seem less unpleasant or more acceptable, especially by adding something good that balances the negative aspects

Example

The hotel's friendly staff redeemed an otherwise disappointing stay.

Nikhil tried to redeem himself after forgetting his wife's birthday by planning a surprise dinner.

reflexive use: redeem oneself

Common collocations
  • redeem oneself
  • redeem a situation
  • redeem a mistake
  • redeem a failure
  • redeemed by something
Synonyms
  • make up for

    more general and everyday; can apply to any shortcoming or loss

  • offset

    more technical; suggests a precise balancing of positive and negative

  • compensate for

    slightly more formal; often implies giving something of equal value in return

Antonyms
  • worsen

    to make a bad situation even worse

  • ruin

    to destroy any remaining good quality

Grammar Patterns

redeem + object

redeem oneself + by + V-ing

redeem + object + with + noun

Usage Note

Often used in the pattern 'redeem oneself' when someone repairs their own reputation after a failure. The object is typically something negative — a bad situation, a mistake, or a personal fault.

Common Mistakes

The chef redeemed the salty soup by adding more water.
The chef fixed the salty soup by adding more water.
'redeem' in this sense is used for situations involving reputation, character, or overall quality, not for fixing a practical problem in the moment.

2. to get back an item you previously sold, pawned, or given as security by paying

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to get back an item you previously sold, pawned, or given as security by paying the person or business that holds it

Example

Christopher redeemed his guitar from the pawn shop after he got paid.

redeem + object + from + [place]

Mira saved for months to redeem her grandmother's ring from the pawnbroker.

Common collocations
  • redeem from a pawn shop
  • redeem a pawned item
  • redeem from a pawnbroker
  • redeem valuables
Synonyms
  • buy back

    more literal and conversational; buying back something you owned

  • reclaim

    suggests asserting a right to get something back

  • recover

    broader; can apply to lost items or abstract things like health

Antonyms
  • pawn

    to give something as security for a loan

  • sell

    to give up ownership in exchange for money

  • forfeit

    to lose the right to something

Grammar Patterns

redeem + object + from + [person/place]

Usage Note

The item being redeemed must have been previously owned by the person and then given away as part of a loan or sale agreement. This sense does not apply to buying something new.

Common Mistakes

I redeemed a new phone from the electronics store.
I redeemed my old camera from the pawn shop.
'redeem' in this sense means to get back something you previously owned, not to buy a new product.

3. to exchange a ticket, coupon, voucher, or points for money, goods, or a service

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to exchange a ticket, coupon, voucher, or points for money, goods, or a service that they are officially worth

Example

The students redeemed their meal vouchers at the school cafeteria.

Iker redeemed his loyalty points for a free flight to Japan.

redeem + points + for + [reward]

Common collocations
  • redeem a coupon
  • redeem points
  • redeem a voucher
  • redeem a certificate
Synonyms
  • exchange

    more general; swapping one thing for another, not necessarily by right

  • cash in

    informal; converting something into its monetary value

  • trade in

    giving up an old item as part payment for a new one

Grammar Patterns

redeem + object + for + [reward/money/goods]

Usage Note

Common objects include coupons, vouchers, gift certificates, loyalty points, and tickets. The person presenting the document receives cash or goods of equivalent stated value, not a discount on a purchase.

Common Mistakes

She redeemed her credit card at the supermarket.
She redeemed her store coupon at the supermarket.
You redeem a voucher, coupon, or certificate, not a payment card.

4. to act on a commitment you made earlier, or to settle a financial obligation by

4.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to act on a commitment you made earlier, or to settle a financial obligation by paying what is due

Example

The local government failed to redeem its promise to build new public schools.

collocation: redeem a promise

Maeve redeemed her pledge to donate five percent of her salary to the charity.

Common collocations
  • redeem a promise
  • redeem a pledge
  • redeem a debt
  • redeem a mortgage
Synonyms
  • fulfill

    more general; carrying out a duty or a wish

  • honour

    British spelling; suggests moral integrity in keeping one's word

  • repay

    specific to financial debts, not promises

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

redeem + [promise/debt/pledge]

Usage Note

Subject is often a person, company, or institution. Common objects are 'promise', 'pledge', 'debt', 'mortgage', and 'loan'. This sense carries a formal tone and is common in financial and political contexts.

Common Mistakes

The politician redeemed his speech at the rally.
The politician redeemed his campaign promise to lower taxes.
'redeem' with this meaning requires the object to be a promise, debt, or pledge — not a speech or action.

5. in Christian teaching, to release human beings from the hold and penalty of evil

5.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

in Christian teaching, to release human beings from the hold and penalty of evil, especially through a divine sacrifice

Example

In Christian belief, Christ died to redeem humanity from sin.

religious use: redeem + humanity + from sin

The priest spoke of how faith could redeem even the worst sinner.

Common collocations
  • redeem souls
  • redeem sinners
  • redeem humanity
  • redeemed by Christ
Synonyms
  • save

    the most common synonym in religious contexts; broader, can mean rescue from any danger

  • deliver

    more formal and biblical; to set free from captivity or evil

  • absolve

    specifically means to declare free from guilt or sin, often through a formal act

Antonyms
  • condemn

    to declare someone guilty and deserving of punishment

  • damn

    in religious contexts, to send to hell

Grammar Patterns

redeem + [humanity/sinner/soul] + from + sin/evil

be redeemed

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in Christian theology. 'To redeem' in this sense means to free from the power and consequences of sin through a divine sacrifice. Frequently appears in passive constructions ('are redeemed by Christ').

Common Mistakes

Yoga redeemed him from his daily stress.
Yoga helped him find relief from his daily stress.
The religious sense of 'redeem' is specific to sin and salvation in Christian theology; it is not used for general relief from problems.

Word family

  • redemption
    nounC1
  • redeemer
    nounC1
  • redeemable
    adjectiveC2
  • unredeemed
    adjectiveC2
  • redeeming
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three phrases describe reducing the negative effect of something. 'Make up for' is the most general and everyday — you can make up for a mistake by apologising, or make up for lost time by working hard. 'Offset' is more technical, suggesting a precise calculation — a company might offset its carbon emissions by planting trees (you would not say 'make up for carbon emissions'). 'Compensate for' is slightly more formal and implies giving something of equal value in return — a small salary may be compensated for by excellent benefits. 'Redeem' is different: it often restores the value or reputation of something that was considered bad overall. A single good feature can redeem an otherwise terrible film, but you would not say one good scene 'makes up for' a terrible film in the same way. For example: 'The friendly staff redeemed the disappointing hotel stay' suggests the staff made the stay acceptable despite its problems, whereas 'the friendly staff compensated for the disappointing stay' would sound less natural because the stay itself was not improved.

make up for ↗offset ↗compensate for

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • from (redeem from a pawn shop / from sin)
  • for (redeem points for a reward / redeem for cash)
  • by (redeem by apologising / redeemed by faith)
  • with (redeem with a sincere apology / redeemed with chocolate frosting)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'redimere', a combination of 're-' meaning 'back' and 'emere' meaning 'to buy' or 'to take'. The original sense was literally 'to buy back', which survives in sense 2 (getting back a pawned item). From there, the meaning expanded to exchanging vouchers (sense 3) and fulfilling promises or debts (sense 4). The moral sense of making something less bad (sense 1) and the religious sense of freeing from sin (sense 5) developed as metaphorical extensions — making something 'good as new' or buying someone's freedom from spiritual captivity.