replay
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /rˈiːpleɪ/
US
- /riˈpleɪ/
Description
- watch or listen again
- play again
- repeat showing
- playback
We all love seeing something again. It might be a big sports moment, a favorite song, or a funny movie scene. A replay lets you watch or hear it one more time. It can also describe something that comes back in your mind, like a bad dream or a memory you keep going over.
Think of a video game: when you fail a level, you often get the option to replay it. Or imagine a short clip of a singer hitting a perfect note; you might press replay again and again to catch every detail. The context tells you whether we mean playing a recording again or having a scene come back in your mind.
The word "replay" refers to seeing, hearing, or going through something again. It is most common in media, entertainment, and sports. You might watch a replay of a goal, listen to a song on replay, or replay a video to catch a detail you missed the first time. It can be a noun, as in "We watched the replay," or a verb, as in "She replayed the clip."
However, "replay" is not limited to enjoyable experiences. It can also describe something happening again and again in your mind, often when you do not want it to. You might say, "She couldn't stop the event from replaying in her mind," meaning the memory kept returning.
In a technical sense, "replay" can mean a function on a device or app that starts the same content again, like a replay button on a video player. In sports, it can also mean a shown-again video of an important moment. In some cases, especially in British sports use, it can mean a second match played because the first one ended in a draw.
So, whether you are enjoying a great moment again, studying a clip more closely, or dealing with a memory that keeps coming back, "replay" is about something being played or experienced another time.
Examples
- 1
Video control
Can you replay that part of the video?
- 2
Sports broadcast
The channel replayed the final goal several times after the match.
- 3
Mental repetition
I kept replaying his last message in my head all evening.
Pattern
replay + memory/message in your head
think about it again and again
- 4
Recorded event
I missed the first half, so I watched the replay later that night.
- 5
Sports review
The referee looked at the replay before making the final decision.
- 6
Listening practice
Tap replay if you want to hear the sentence again.
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- replaynounverb
Forms
- replayspluralnounverb
- replayedpast tenseverbnoun
- replaying-ing formverbnoun