Using prefixes is a great way to increase your English vocabulary. Turn words you already know into new words just by adding a prefix. In this post, you will learn more than 60 common words that use the prefix RE.
The prefix RE means again or back. It is commonly used with verbs to mean “DO THAT VERB AGAIN.” Redo – Do again Refill – Fill again Remake – Make again
It can also be used with nouns – Re-election and adjectives – Reusable.
In this post, you will learn more than 60 common words that use the prefix RE. Learn with real example sentences so you can see how they are used in natural conversation.
Re Prefix Words
The prefix RE can be added to verbs, nouns, and adjectives.
Verb REDO – I made a mistake in my experiment. I have to redo it.
Noun RE-ELECTION – The Mayor is up for re-election.
Adjective REUSABLE – I bought a reusable coffee cup to use at Starbucks.
Table of Contents
- The Prefix RE meaning
- VERBS with the prefix RE
- NOUNS with the prefix RE
- ADJECTIVES with the prefix RE
- Bonus 1 PDF
- Watch the Video too!
(Review this lesson in a fun way that improves your listening skills)
The Prefix RE meaning
What is a prefix? – A prefix is a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning
SOURCE
The Prefix RE = again or back. RE changes the meanings of the root words, most often to mean: root word again.
RE + do = Redo (do is the root word)
Redo means – do again
The Prefix re – Words with examples sentences
95% of the meanings in this post come from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries
This is a true list of words that add RE to another word. All the words on my list are proper root words whose meaning becomes – root word again after adding the prefix RE.
I did not include words like reply, repeat, or remember. (Their meanings are not ply, peat, or member again!) I want this post to help ESL students easily increase their vocabulary and help ESL teachers get some helpful content they can use with their own students.
The vocabulary list has three sections. Common verbs, nouns, and adjectives that use the prefix RE. Of course, no list is complete. The verb section is the longest but it is still just a guide.
Every word has an example sentence to help you use these words in your own English conversations.
VERBS with the prefix RE
- Readjust – to get used to a changed or new situation [A new situation causes us to adjust again]
- People will have to readjust to going back to work after the pandemic.
- Reapply – to put another layer of a substance on a surface
- If you sweat a lot you should reapply sunscreen every 45 minutes.
- Rearrange – to change the position or order of things; to change your position
- Every few years I like to rearrange my office, it feels new and fresh after I do this.
- Reboot – the act of starting a computer, smartphone, etc. again immediately after you have switched it off
- My computer issues can be fixed if you just reboot your PC.
- Reborn – to be born again
- If you could be reborn as any animal, which animal would you be?
- Rebuild – to build or put something together again
- After the typhoon, I rebuilt my garage with the help of my friends.
- Recall – to remember something
- I think I’ve seen this movie before but I can’t recall how it ends.
- Reconnect – to connect something again; to connect to something again
- After the plumber installed the new pipes he reconnected the water supply.
- Recharge – to fill a battery with electrical power; to be filled with electrical power
- My new phone can fully recharge in just 15 minutes.
- Recreate – to make something that existed in the past exist or seem to exist again
- The artist recreates famous paintings with just an iPad.
The adjective famous is made by adding the suffix -ous to the noun fame. Learn more about this suffix here: 50 ways the suffix ~OUS can Increase your vocabulary (Free PDF)
- Recycle – to treat things that have already been used so that they can be used again
- Remember to follow the 3 R’s – Reduce, reuse and recycle.
- Redefine – to change the nature or limits of something; to make people consider something in a new way
- The new contract redefines my duties and responsibilities. I look forward to having more responsibility at the company.
- Redirect – to use something, for example money, in a different way or for a different purpose
- The local government has redirected money to support local businesses affected by the state of emergency.
- Redouble – to increase something or make it stronger
- The team will have to redouble its efforts to get this project completed on schedule.
- Redraw – to make changes to something such as the borders of a country or region, a plan, an arrangement, etc.
- After the war, Europe looked very different. The map of Europe was completely redrawn.
- Re-elect – to elect somebody again
- Justin Trudeau was just re-elected Prime Minister of Canada.
- Redo – do again
- I’m not happy with the custom images I made for this blog. I need to redo them.
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- Refinance – to borrow money in order to pay a debt
- Neil refinanced his mortgage to help pay off his credit card debt.
- Refill – fill again
- At Mister Donut they will refill your coffee for free. You can drink as much coffee as you want!
- Refocus – to give attention, effort, etc. to something new or different
- After 3 weeks of work with nothing to show I decided to step back and refocus my efforts.
- Reformat – to give a new format to a computer disk
- After I reformatted my computer’s hard drive it was working like new again.
- Refresh – to make somebody feel less tired or less hot
- I took a walk down to the beach to refresh myself.
- Regroup – (of a person) to return to a normal state after an unpleasant experience or a period of difficulty, and become ready to make an effort again with new enthusiasm or strength
- A trip to the mountain resort helped me regroup after a difficult few months.
- Reheat – to heat cooked food again after it has been left to go cold
- I always reheat pizza in a frying pan on the stove, not in the microwave.
- Reinterpret – to interpret something in a new or different way
- I like the way the director has reinterpreted this classic story and made something original.
- Reintroduce – to start to use something again
- The government is planning to reintroduce bus service across the downtown core of the city.
- Reinvest – to put profits that have been made on an investment back into the same investment or into a new one
- Smart investors reinvest the money they make on their original investments.
- Relearn – to learn (something) again
- After the car accident, Terry had to relearn how to walk.
- Relive – to experience something again, especially in your imagination
- Victims of assault often have to relive their experience when they testify in court. It can be difficult.
- Reload – to put more bullets into a gun, more film into a camera, etc.
- An advantage to digital cameras is we never have to reload film.
- Remake – to make a new or different version of something such as an old film or song; to make something again
- The 1990 film ‘Total Recall’ starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was remade in 2012.
- Remix – to make a new version of a recorded piece of music by using a machine to arrange the separate parts of the recording in a different way, add new parts, etc.
- After a band records a song the producers will remix it in the studio and try to make it sound even better.
- Remodel – to change the structure or shape of something
- I plan to remodel my office this Spring.
- Rename – to give somebody/something a new name
- The city wants to rename the streets downtown.
- Renew – to begin something again after it stopped or was interrupted
- I need to renew my driver’s license every 4 years.
The verb renew can become the noun renewal by adding the suffix -al to the word. Learn how to use this suffix at my blog post here: How do you use the suffix -al? (Common Examples, Free PDF)
- Reorganize – to change the way in which something is organized or done
- Every Spring I reorganize my closet. I have a lot of clothes!
- Repaint – to cover with a new coat of paint
- I want to repaint the spare room before we have guests this Christmas.
- Replant – plant (a tree or plant which has been dug up) again, especially in a larger pot or new site.
- The tree was replanted further away from the street.
- Replay – to play again a video, music recording or video game
- The police replayed the security video several times so they could get a clear idea of what happened.
- Resell – to sell something that you have bought
- The store will buy your old clothes and then resell them for a profit.
- Reset – to place something in the correct position again
- After I broke my leg it took the doctor an hour to reset the bone.
- Restart – to start again
- My computer issues can be fixed if you just restart your PC.
- Restock – to fill something with new or different things to replace those that have been used, sold, etc.; to get a new supply of something
- Town wildlife experts restock the local lakes with fish every Spring.
- Resupply – to give somebody new supplies of something they need; to give something to somebody again in a different form
- Large cruise ships have to resupply several times on long trips.
- Retake – to take an exam or a test again, usually after failing it the first time
- My teacher is giving me a chance to retake the test because I was ill last week.
- Reuse – to use something again
- I try to reuse old plastic containers so they don’t go in the garbage.
- Revisit – to return to an idea or a subject and discuss it again
- I like your idea. Let’s revisit it after we finish our current project.
- Revive – to become, or to make somebody/something become, conscious or healthy and strong again
- The flowers soon revived after giving them lots of water and placing them in the sun.
- Rewire – to put new electrical wires into a building or piece of equipment
- The electricians rewired the whole building.
- Rewrite – to write something again in a different way, usually in order to improve it or because there is some new information
- I have written many English blog posts. I often update and rewrite older posts to make them more helpful.
- Rework – to make changes to something in order to improve it or make it more suitable
- The band is reworking some of their older songs for the new album.
NOUNS with the prefix RE
- Recall – the ability to remember something that you have learned or something that has happened in the past [to call a memory again]
- The patient lost some recall after the head injury.
- Redefinition – the act of changing the nature or limits of something; the act of making people consider something in a new way
- The new contract was a redefinition of my role with the company.
- Re-education – the process of teaching somebody to think or behave in a new or different way
- The government set up a communist style re-education center for children.
- Refill – another drink of the same type
- Can I get a refill, please?
- Remake – a new or different version of an old film or song
- The remake of ‘Total Recall’ in 2012 was okay, but I prefer the original.
- Rematch – a match or game played again between the same people or teams
- As soon as the fight was over the winner offered his opponent a rematch. He wants to prove that his win was not luck.
- Remix – a new version of a recorded piece of music made by using a machine to arrange the separate parts of the recording in a different way, add new parts, etc.
- I just heard a remix of my favorite song. It’s good!
- Reprint – an act of printing more copies of a book because all the others have been sold
- This novel just had it’s 5th reprint. It is very popular.
- Rerun – a television program that is shown again
- Most Networks just show reruns during the summer. They don’t make any new shows.
- Resale – the sale to another person of something that you have bought
- Honda makes quality cars. They have a high resale value.
- Reunion – a social occasion or party attended by a group of people who have not seen each other for a long time
- I met many old friends at my high school reunion. It was so much fun to see them again and catch up.
ADJECTIVES with the prefix RE
- Reborn – having become active again
- The country has a reborn vision of social democracy.
- Reusable – that can be used again
- I always bring reusable chopsticks to Japanese style fast-food restaurants. I don’t like to use disposable products. It makes unnecessary garbage.
The adjective reusable comes from adding the suffix -able to the verb reuse. Learn more about how to use the SUFFIX -able at my blog post: 32 Common Examples of the Suffix ~ABLE (Free PDF Download)
The Prefix RE- FAQs
Can the Prefix RE be used with any verb?
The prefix RE- can be used with many verbs in English, but not all of them. The use of re- with a verb usually indicates that an action is being repeated or done again, or that something is being returned to a previous state. For example, “rewrite,” “rebuild,” “reconnect,” and “rethink” are all examples of verbs that use the prefix RE- to indicate repetition or restoration of something.
However, not all verbs can be used with the prefix RE-, as it may not make sense to repeat or restore certain actions. For example: If we drive somewhere again we don’t redrive there. This word doesn’t make sense.
Is the Prefix RE always used to indicate repetition?
Remember, this post is a true list of words that add RE to another word. All the words in this post are proper root words whose meaning becomes – root word again after adding the prefix RE.
There are some examples of words that begin with RE that don’t mean do again, but these are not “true” root words the way I am using them.
For example, re- is used in the words like rejoice (to feel great joy) or reverberate (to echo loudly). We can find the word joy inside rejoice to give us a clue to its meaning, but JOICE is not a word used by itself.
Verberate is actually a real verb from the past that means – to lash, beat, or whip. This verb is obsolete and not used anymore.
The meaning of reverberate is closer in meaning to the noun reverb (short for reverberation) which is when a sound occurs in a space that sends sound waves outwards in all directions. This meaning is much more closely related to the meaning of reverberate.
Can “re-” be used with adjectives and nouns as well as verbs?
Yes! This blog post contains a collection of words from each of these word categories.
Adjective – Reusable – that can be used again
I always bring reusable chopsticks to Japanese style fast-food restaurants.
Noun – Reunion – a social occasion or party attended by a group of people who have not seen each other for a long time
Verb – Recreate – to make something that existed in the past exist or seem to exist again
The Prefix RE – Conclusion
The prefix RE means again or back. It is used a lot with verbs to mean “DO THAT VERB AGAIN.” I hope that the definitions and examples have helped you understand this prefix and given you the tools to use it in your own English conversations.
Do you have any chances to use this prefix?
Do you use English often?
Tell me in the comments! Also, let me know which other prefixes you would like me to teach in a future blog post.
Thanks for using World English Blog and I look forward to reading your comments 🙂
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