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repechage: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

C2
UK/ˈrɛpəʃɑːʒ/US/ˈrɛpəʃɑːʒ/

formal / specialized

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Quick answer

What does “repechage” mean?

A heat, race, or contest in which competitors who have lost in a previous round get a second chance to qualify for the next stage.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A heat, race, or contest in which competitors who have lost in a previous round get a second chance to qualify for the next stage.

Any second-chance mechanism or process, often used metaphorically to describe an opportunity to recover from an earlier failure or setback.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

UK usage is more common in sporting media and contexts like rowing. US usage is rarer and typically appears in international sports coverage or specialised publications.

Connotations

Generally neutral, denoting a procedural rule in competitions.

Frequency

Low frequency in both, but marginally more recognised in the UK due to prominence of rowing.

Grammar

How to Use “repechage” in a Sentence

The + repechage + VERBto qualify via/through repechagea place in the repechage

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
repechage roundrepechage heatrepechage system
medium
through the repechagewon the repechageentered the repechage
weak
crucial repechageinitial repechagefinal repechage

Examples

Examples of “repechage” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • The system does not allow athletes to repechage; it's a noun only.

American English

  • 'Repechage' is not used as a verb in standard English.

adverb

British English

  • It is not used as an adverb.

American English

  • No adverbial form exists.

adjective

British English

  • The repechage round will be held this afternoon.

American English

  • He advanced via the repechage bracket.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Metaphorically, for employees or projects given a second chance after initial failure.

Academic

Used in sports science or studies of competition structures.

Everyday

Extremely rare. Likely only in conversation about specific sports.

Technical

Core term in rulebooks for Olympic sports like judo, rowing, wrestling.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “repechage”

Neutral

second-chance roundconsolation heat

Weak

qualifying heatlast-chance qualifier

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “repechage”

finalmain drawstraight qualification

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “repechage”

  • Misspelling: 'repecharge', 'repachage'. Incorrect pronunciation with /tʃ/ instead of /ʃ/.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No, in English it is exclusively a noun. The corresponding action would be 'to qualify through the repechage'.

It comes from French 'repêchage', from 'repêcher' meaning 'to fish out, rescue'.

No, it is a low-frequency, specialised term familiar mainly to sports enthusiasts and commentators.

In both British and American English, it is typically /ˈrɛpəʃɑːʒ/, with the stress on the first syllable and a 'zh' sound (like in 'vision') at the end.

A heat, race, or contest in which competitors who have lost in a previous round get a second chance to qualify for the next stage.

Repechage is usually formal / specialized in register.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “a political repechage”
  • “a repechage for the candidates”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of a PEACH (repeach-age) – you get a second chance to pick the best one.

Conceptual Metaphor

COMPETITION IS A LADDER (with a second chance to climb back on).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
After a narrow defeat in the heats, she qualified for the semi-finals via the .
Multiple Choice

In which context is 'repechage' most precisely used?