reload

reload — verb

1. to fill a gun with fresh bullets again after it has been fired, so that it can b

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to fill a gun with fresh bullets again after it has been fired, so that it can be used for more shots

Example

After firing six shots, the officer reloaded her pistol in one quick motion.

transitive: reload + pistol / gun

Asher paused to reload the hunting rifle before aiming at the target again.

infinitive pattern: paused to reload + noun

Common collocations
  • reload a gun / pistol / rifle / shotgun
  • reload ammunition / bullets / shells
  • reload quickly / calmly / automatically
  • reload in the middle of a fight
Synonyms
  • recharge

    Used for energy-based or battery-powered weapons, not conventional firearms

  • replenish

    General meaning of refilling; less specific to weapons and less common as a direct synonym

Antonyms
  • unload

    To remove ammunition from a weapon, the opposite of reloading

  • empty

    To take all ammunition out, leaving the weapon with no rounds

Grammar Patterns

reload + noun (gun / rifle / weapon)

reload (intransitive)

Usage Note

Object is typically the weapon itself ('reload the rifle'), not the ammunition. The intransitive use ('He reloaded and fired again') is especially common in action-oriented contexts.

Common Mistakes

He reloaded the bullets into the gun again.
He reloaded the gun.
'Reload' already means putting ammunition into a weapon; specifying 'bullets' is redundant.

2. to tell a computer to fetch a program, file, or web page from its storage into a

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to tell a computer to fetch a program, file, or web page from its storage into active memory again, often to show the newest version

Example

Sana clicked the refresh icon to reload the webpage with the latest scores.

common action: reload + webpage / page with latest data

After the app stopped responding, Roya reloaded the program by restarting it.

Common collocations
  • reload a page / webpage / website
  • reload an app / program / application
  • reload data / a file / a document
  • reload a game / saved game / checkpoint
  • reload automatically / manually / quickly
Synonyms
  • refresh

    More common for web pages in everyday use; less technical in tone

  • reopen

    Used for files or programs that have been closed, not for pages still open

  • reboot

    Refers to restarting the entire operating system, not just one program or page

Antonyms
  • close

    To shut down a program or page, the opposite of making it active

  • unload

    To remove data or a program from active memory

Grammar Patterns

reload + noun (page / app / program / data)

reload (intransitive)

Usage Note

Commonly used with web pages, apps, and digital files. The synonym 'refresh' is more frequent for web pages in everyday speech, whereas 'reload' feels slightly more technical or game-oriented. The subject can be either the user or the system ('the page reloaded automatically').

Common Mistakes

I reloaded the computer.
I reloaded the program / page.
'Reload' takes the software or data as the object, not the physical machine. For the whole machine, use 'restart' or 'reboot.'
I reloaded the webpage again.
I reloaded the webpage.
'Reload' already implies doing something again; 'again' is redundant.

Word family

  • reloadable
    adjectiveC1
  • reloading
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

In computing, these four terms describe different levels of starting over. 'Reload' means fetching the same data or program from storage again while the system stays on — a webpage reloads, a game reloads a saved level. 'Refresh' is nearly identical but more casual, used almost exclusively for web pages or screens. 'Restart' means closing and reopening a program or system; it stops processes and starts them from the beginning. 'Reboot' is the strongest: turning a computer off and on again, which clears memory and reloads the operating system. For example: 'I refreshed the browser to see new comments.' 'I restarted the app because it was frozen.' 'I rebooted the laptop after the blue screen.'

reload ↗refresh ↗restart ↗reboot

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • reload in the middle of
  • reload for the next round
  • reload from a saved file

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

'Reload' combines the prefix 're-' (meaning 'again') with the verb 'load' (to put a charge or cargo into something). The earliest uses, from the early 1800s, referred to firearms — putting a fresh charge of gunpowder and shot into a musket or pistol. The computing sense appeared in the mid-1900s as computers began to use stored programs and memory, extending the same 'load again' idea to software and data.