Reset

/ˌriːˈset/

verbBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To set something back to its original state or to a new starting point.

/ˌriːˈset/

verbneutralBeginner
General

To set back to a previous state or starting point

I had to reset my password.

💡 Simply: Imagine your phone freezes. You can 'reset' it by turning it off and on again. It's like hitting the 'restart' button to make everything work right again, just like when you mess up in a video game!

👶 For kids: To make something start over from the beginning, like when you push the button on a toy to make it work again.

More Examples

2

If the computer freezes, try to reset it.

3

The coach decided to reset the team's strategy.

4

After the power outage, the clock needed to be reset.

How It's Used

Technology

"You can reset the computer to factory settings."

Games

"Let's reset the game and start again."

2

The action or process of resetting something.

/ˈriːˌset/

nounneutralBeginner
General

The act of resetting something

The phone needed a reset to fix the software glitch.

💡 Simply: It's the *action* of hitting that restart button. So when you push the button on the toy and it starts back at the beginning, that *push* is the 'reset'.

👶 For kids: When you do the 'reset', you're starting something over.

More Examples

2

We performed a full system reset after the crash.

3

The team is hoping for a fresh reset to start the next season.

4

The reset of the experiment was necessary to correct the errors.

How It's Used

Technology

"The device requires a reset to function."

Games

"The game allowed for a quick reset if you failed a level."

Tip:The act itself of pushing the reset button is a 'reset.'

Idioms & expressions

reset the clock

To start over or go back to an earlier point in time.

"After the scandal, the company decided to reset the clock on its public image."

From re- (again) + set. Set, in this context, means to establish or put something in a particular position.

The word 'reset' has been used in English since the 17th century, originally in the context of setting something anew or repairing a damaged part.

Memory tip

Imagine a button that sends everything back to zero: RESET!

Word Origin

LanguageEnglish
Original meaning

"To set again"

reset buttonreset passwordfactory resetsystem resetreset the clock

Common misspellings

resettre-set

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written