When you reverse something, you change it to be the total opposite. Imagine you are walking forward, and then you turn around and walk the other way; you reverse your direction. If you are in a car, and you move backward, you are reversing. It's like going back or undoing something.
When you reverse something, you change it to the exact opposite. Imagine you are walking forward, then you turn around and walk the other way; you reverse your direction. Or, if a car is going forward and then moves backward, it is reversing. In a game, if you lose a point, but then the referee changes their mind and gives you the point, they reverse their decision.
At the B2 level, 'reverse' as a verb means to change something to its exact opposite. This could be an action, a decision, or a direction. For example, you might reverse a car to go backwards, or a court might reverse a previous ruling, meaning they cancel it and make the opposite decision. It implies a complete turnaround or a movement in the opposite direction from what was initially intended or decided. Understanding this word helps in comprehending situations where a complete change or reversal of state occurs.
reverse en 30 segundos
- change to opposite
- move backward
- cancel decision
§ How to use 'reverse' in a sentence
The verb 'reverse' is versatile and can be used in several contexts, each with slightly different grammatical considerations. Understanding these nuances is key to using it effectively.
- Transitive Use (with a direct object)
- When 'reverse' is used transitively, it means to change something to its opposite, or to cancel a decision. In this case, it takes a direct object.
The company decided to reverse its previous policy on remote work.
The court chose to reverse the lower court's decision.
- Intransitive Use (without a direct object)
- In this context, 'reverse' typically refers to moving backward, especially with vehicles.
She carefully began to reverse out of the parking spot.
The car lurched as he tried to reverse without looking.
§ Common Prepositions and Phrases with 'Reverse'
While 'reverse' often doesn't require a preposition when used transitively, certain contexts and phrases benefit from them.
- Reverse into/out of: Used when talking about moving a vehicle into or out of a space.
He had to reverse into the narrow driveway.
She carefully reversed out of the garage.
- Reverse course: This idiom means to change one's plans or strategy completely.
After public outcry, the government decided to reverse course on the new tax.
- Reverse roles: To switch positions or duties with someone else.
It's interesting to see them reverse roles in the new play, with the hero becoming the villain.
§ Formal vs. Informal Usage
- Formal Contexts
- In legal or official language, 'reverse' is commonly used to refer to the overturning of a decision.
The appellate court has the authority to reverse a previous ruling.
- Informal Contexts
- Informally, 'reverse' is often used in the context of driving or changing a personal decision or action.
Can you reverse the car a little so I can get my bag?
§ Grammatical Forms of 'Reverse'
Like most verbs, 'reverse' can be conjugated into various tenses:
- Present Simple: reverse, reverses
- Past Simple: reversed
- Present Participle (Gerund): reversing
- Past Participle: reversed
He always reverses into the garage.
The decision was reversed last week.
Reversing a bad habit takes time and effort.
How Formal Is It?
"The court decided to rescind its previous judgment, leading to a new trial for the defendant."
"The driver had to reverse the car out of the tight parking spot."
"I wish I could undo what I said, it came out all wrong."
"Let's go backward on the swing, so we can go forward again!"
"Man, I gotta take back what I said about that movie, it was actually pretty good."
Ejemplos por nivel
He put the car in reverse.
Он включил задний ход.
Please reverse the car slowly.
Пожалуйста, медленно сдайте назад на машине.
Can you reverse the video?
Можешь перемотать видео назад?
The court decided to reverse the earlier ruling.
Суд решил отменить предыдущее постановление.
She likes to reverse her steps to find lost things.
Ей нравится возвращаться по своим следам, чтобы найти потерянные вещи.
The company had to reverse its decision.
Компании пришлось отменить свое решение.
If you push this button, it will reverse the process.
Если нажать эту кнопку, это отменит процесс.
He reversed his jacket because it was inside out.
Он вывернул куртку наизнанку.
The company decided to reverse its decision to close the factory after public outcry.
Compania a decis să-și schimbe decizia de a închide fabrica după protestele publice.
Here, 'reverse' is used as a transitive verb, meaning to change something to its opposite.
Can you please reverse the car slowly into the parking space?
Puteți, vă rog, să dați înapoi încet cu mașina în locul de parcare?
In this sentence, 'reverse' is used to mean moving a vehicle backward.
The court of appeal has the power to reverse the lower court's judgment.
Curtea de apel are puterea de a anula hotărârea instanței inferioare.
Here, 'reverse' is used in a legal sense, meaning to officially cancel a decision.
If we don't act quickly, it might be impossible to reverse the environmental damage.
Dacă nu acționăm rapid, ar putea fi imposibil să inversăm daunele aduse mediului.
This example uses 'reverse' to mean to change something back to its previous state.
The doctor warned that it might be difficult to reverse the effects of his unhealthy lifestyle.
Medicul a avertizat că ar putea fi dificil să inverseze efectele stilului său de viață nesănătos.
'Reverse' here refers to changing the outcome or consequences of something.
He had to reverse his steps when he realized he had left his keys at home.
A trebuit să se întoarcă pe urmele sale când și-a dat seama că și-a lăsat cheile acasă.
In this instance, 'reverse one's steps' means to go back the way one came.
The government is trying to reverse the trend of declining birth rates.
Guvernul încearcă să inverseze tendința de scădere a natalității.
'Reverse' is used here to mean to change a trend or direction.
She learned how to reverse crochet stitches to create a different texture.
A învățat cum să croșeteze invers pentru a crea o textură diferită.
This sentence uses 'reverse' in a more specific, technical context to mean doing something in the opposite direction or manner.
Colocaciones comunes
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasYes, absolutely! One common meaning of 'reverse' as a verb is to move backwards, especially in a vehicle. For example, you might say, 'I need to reverse the car out of the driveway.'
Not always. While it often implies physical movement backwards, 'reverse' can also mean to change something to its opposite state or condition. Think about 'reversing a decision' – that's not physical movement.
Good question! 'Turn around' usually means to change direction by making a rotation, often 180 degrees, and then continuing to move forward. 'Reverse,' on the other hand, specifically means to move backwards or to change something to its opposite. You could reverse to turn around, but they're not always interchangeable.
In a legal or formal context, 'reverse' means to officially cancel or overturn a decision. For instance, a higher court might 'reverse the judgment' of a lower court, meaning they change the original ruling to its opposite.
It can be both! You can 'reverse the car' (transitive, with a direct object) or the car can 'reverse out of the driveway' (intransitive, no direct object). So, it's pretty flexible!
Yes, that's a perfectly good use! You can say you 'reverse a jacket' to mean you turn it inside out, especially if it's designed to be worn both ways (a reversible jacket). It fits the idea of changing something to its opposite.
You could definitely use 'reverse' with a trend. For example, 'The company hoped to reverse the downward trend in sales.' Here, it means to change the negative trend to a positive one.
Often, yes. When you reverse something, you typically undo what was done or change it back to an earlier or opposite state. If a decision is reversed, the original decision is no longer valid.
Yes, absolutely! You can reverse the order of items, meaning you change them from last to first, second to second-to-last, and so on. For instance, 'Please reverse the order of the names on the list.'
A very common phrase is 'reverse course.' This means to change your plans or strategy, often to the opposite of what you were doing before. For example, 'The government decided to reverse course on the new policy.'
Ponte a prueba 30 preguntas
This sentence asks someone to back up the car.
This means he will change his mind or cancel his previous decision.
This asks if we can change the sequence of the names.
The company decided to ____ its policy on working from home.
To 'reverse' a policy means to change it to the opposite of what it was before.
Can you please ____ the car into the parking spot?
To 'reverse' a car means to move it backwards.
The court decided to ____ the previous judgment.
In a legal sense, to 'reverse' a judgment means to officially cancel it and replace it with the opposite.
If you reverse a decision, you are changing it to be the opposite.
The definition states that to reverse something means to change it so that it is the opposite of what it was before.
When a car moves backward, it is reversing.
The definition mentions moving backwards in a vehicle as part of reversing.
To reverse a legal decision means to make it stronger.
To reverse a legal decision means to officially cancel it, not to make it stronger.
Imagine you are driving and realize you are going the wrong way. Describe what you would do to reverse your direction safely. Use at least 50 words.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
If I realized I was going the wrong way while driving, I would first look for a safe place to pull over. I would check my mirrors carefully to make sure there were no cars behind me. Then, I would signal and slowly reverse into a driveway or side street to turn around. It's important to be very cautious and make sure the road is clear before changing direction to avoid any accidents.
Think about a decision you made that you later regretted. How did you 'reverse' that decision or its effects? Write a short paragraph (around 40-60 words).
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Once, I decided to buy a very expensive shirt without really thinking. Later, I regretted it because I realized I didn't need it and it was too much money. To reverse this decision, I returned the shirt to the store and got my money back. It taught me to think more carefully before making purchases.
Write a sentence using the word 'reverse' in a way that means to officially cancel a decision.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
The court decided to reverse its earlier ruling after new evidence was presented.
What did the city council do in the end?
Read this passage:
After much debate, the city council voted to approve the new building project. However, many residents were unhappy with this decision, arguing that it would harm the local environment. They organized protests and gathered signatures for a petition. Faced with strong public opposition, the council decided to hold another meeting to discuss the matter again. Ultimately, they chose to reverse their original decision and cancel the project.
What did the city council do in the end?
The passage clearly states, 'Ultimately, they chose to reverse their original decision and cancel the project.'
The passage clearly states, 'Ultimately, they chose to reverse their original decision and cancel the project.'
What did the driver do to avoid an accident?
Read this passage:
The old car struggled up the hill, but once it reached the top, it started to roll backwards. The driver quickly pressed the brake and then put the car in reverse to maneuver it safely away from the edge of the road. It was a close call, but they managed to avoid an accident by carefully reversing.
What did the driver do to avoid an accident?
The text says, 'the driver ... put the car in reverse to maneuver it safely away from the edge of the road.'
The text says, 'the driver ... put the car in reverse to maneuver it safely away from the edge of the road.'
What did the scientists manage to do with the plants?
Read this passage:
Scientists were studying a strange phenomenon that caused plants to grow downwards instead of upwards. They tried many experiments to understand why this was happening. After weeks of work, they found a way to change the conditions and reverse the plant's growth direction, allowing them to grow normally again. This discovery was very important for agriculture.
What did the scientists manage to do with the plants?
The passage states, 'they found a way to change the conditions and reverse the plant's growth direction'.
The passage states, 'they found a way to change the conditions and reverse the plant's growth direction'.
This sentence asks someone to back a car into a parking space. 'Reverse' here means to move backward.
In this context, 'reverse' means to change an earlier decision to its opposite.
Here, 'reverse' means to change a negative pattern back to a positive one, or to stop it entirely.
This sentence describes a legal context where a decision is officially canceled and replaced with the opposite.
This sentence uses 'reverse' in the sense of moving backwards in a vehicle.
This sentence uses 'reverse' in the sense of changing something to its opposite, in this case, fortunes.
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
To reverse means to change something to its opposite, move backward, or officially cancel a decision.
- change to opposite
- move backward
- cancel decision
Ejemplo
I had to reverse the car slowly into the garage to avoid hitting the wall.
Contenido relacionado
Gramática relacionada
Más palabras de Actions
abcredance
C1Otorgar formalmente credibilidad o validar la autenticidad de una afirmación o proceso basándose en evidencia rigurosa.
abnasccide
C1Describe algo que tiende naturalmente a desprenderse o cortarse en una etapa específica.
absorb
B2Absorber algo significa tomarlo, como el agua a una esponja, o entender información.
abstain
C1To voluntarily refrain from an action or practice, especially one that is considered unhealthy or morally questionable. It is also used formally to describe the act of choosing not to cast a vote in an election or deliberation.
abvictly
C1Resolver una situación o disputa compleja de manera decisiva y abrupta, ejerciendo fuerza o autoridad abrumadora.
abvitfy
C1"Abvitfy" describe la capacidad de adaptarse rápidamente a cambios tecnológicos, una forma de resiliencia.
accelerate
C1To increase the speed or rate of something, or to make a process happen sooner than expected. In technical contexts, it refers to the rate of change of velocity, while in general contexts, it often describes the speeding up of progress or development.
accept
A1Recibir algo que te ofrecen o decir sí a una invitación. También significa reconocer que algo es verdad o aceptar una situación.
achieve
A2Llegar a una meta o terminar una tarea después de esforzarse mucho. Se trata de completar algo positivo gracias a tu trabajo.
acquiesce
C1Aceptar algo a regañadientes, sin protestar. Se cede porque no hay otra opción.
