relay

relay — verb

1. to receive information, a message, or a signal from one person or place and send

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to receive information, a message, or a signal from one person or place and send it to another person or place — by speaking, writing, or using electronic equipment.

Example

Tuan relayed the manager's announcement to the afternoon shift.

relay + noun phrase + to [recipient]

The radio station relayed live coverage of the match across the country.

broadcast sense: relay [programme] across [area]

Common collocations
  • relay information
  • relay a message
  • relay news
  • relay a signal
  • relay an order
  • relay live coverage
Synonyms
  • pass on

    more informal; used in everyday spoken situations

  • transmit

    more formal and technical; often used for electronic signals or data

  • broadcast

    specifically for radio, television, or online transmission to a wide audience

  • forward

    used for emails, documents, or messages sent onwards electronically

Antonyms
  • withhold

    to keep information back rather than passing it on

Grammar Patterns

relay + noun phrase + to + person/place

relay + that-clause

be relayed + through/via/across

Usage Note

Often used in the passive form — 'be relayed to' — especially when the focus is on the information itself rather than the person who passes it.

Common Mistakes

She relayed him the news after the meeting.
She relayed the news to him after the meeting.
In English, 'relay' takes the thing passed as the direct object and introduces the recipient with 'to'. It does not allow a double-object structure.

relay — noun

Word family

  • relayed
    adjectiveB1
  • relaying
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe moving information from one person or place to another, but they differ in register and medium. 'Pass on' is the most informal and general — you can pass on a message, a cold, or a rumour in everyday conversation. 'Transmit' sounds technical or formal, and is the right word for electronic signals, data, or diseases ('The device transmits data wirelessly'). 'Broadcast' is specific to sending a message or programme to a wide, often unspecified audience via radio, television, or the internet. 'Forward' is narrower — it means sending something that has already been received, typically an email or a document, to another recipient. For learners: 'Please pass on my regards to your parents.' is natural; 'Please forward my regards to your parents.' sounds like an email instruction. Choose based on who your audience is (one person vs. many) and what medium you are using.

pass on ↗transmit ↗broadcast ↗forward ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in relays
  • a relay of
  • relay station
  • relay system

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'relay' comes from the Old French 'relais', meaning 'a relay of horses' — fresh horses placed at intervals along a route to replace tired ones. The concept of replacement or relief expanded over time: first to any team of people relieving another (14th century), then to the sports race where teammates take turns (late 19th century), and later to the electrical device that 'relays' a signal by opening or closing a circuit.