restart
B1Neutral (common in formal, informal, and technical contexts)
Definition
Meaning
to begin something again, especially after stopping for a period of time.
To cause a process, device, or event to begin operating or happening again from the beginning or a fresh point.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a deliberate, controlled action to stop and then begin again, rather than a spontaneous continuation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. In computing, both use 'restart', though 'reboot' is also common in AmE.
Connotations
Similar in both dialects. In professional contexts, can imply a fresh start after failure or stagnation.
Frequency
Comparatively high frequency in both dialects, especially in technical and business contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Verb] + (object): restart the car[Verb] + (intransitive): The system will restart now.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Press the restart button (on life/project)”
- “A restart for the heart (medical/figurative)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
We need to restart the marketing campaign with a new strategy.
Academic
The experiment was paused for calibration and will restart tomorrow.
Everyday
The washing machine made a weird noise, so I turned it off and restarted it.
Technical
Please restart the server to apply the new configuration.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The referee told them to restart the match.
- Try to restart the router if your internet is slow.
American English
- We had to restart the car three times in the cold.
- The program will restart automatically after the update.
adjective
British English
- Press the restart button if it freezes.
American English
- The restart procedure is outlined in the manual.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The computer is frozen. Please restart it.
- The game will restart in five seconds.
- After the power cut, we had to restart all the machines.
- The two countries agreed to restart peace talks.
- The company plans to restart production at the old factory next quarter.
- He decided to restart his university studies after a year abroad.
- The failure of the initial proposal forced the committee to restart the entire consultative process from scratch.
- Negotiations were halted indefinitely, with no clear date to restart them.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
RE + START. Think of a race where you get to START again (RE-) after a false start.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PROCESS IS A MACHINE / JOURNEY (e.g., 'restart the project', 'restart your life journey').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'перезапуск' in non-computing contexts where 'возобновить' or 'начать заново' is more natural.
- Do not confuse with 'start again' which is more general; 'restart' often implies a technical or formal procedure.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'restart' as a noun where 'restarting' or 'restart' (computing) is needed. (Incorrect: 'I did a restart of the app.' Correct: 'I restarted the app.')
- Overusing in informal speech where 'start again' is simpler.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'restart' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though in very casual speech, people might say 'start again'.
'Restart' means to begin operation again, often from the same point. 'Reset' often means to return to an original or default state before beginning again.
Yes, especially in computing and business contexts (e.g., 'a system restart', 'a complete restart of the project').
The hyphenated form 're-start' is an older or less common variant. The solid form 'restart' is standard in modern English.