rethe

See also: reþe

English

Alternative forms

• reth, reithe, retht (Scotland)

Etymology

From Middle English reth, rethe, from Old English rēþe (“fierce, cruel, savage, severe, stern, austere, zealous, wild, dire”), from Proto-West Germanic *rōþī, from Proto-Germanic *rōþijaz (“wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey-, *rēy- (“to scream, shout, roar, bellow, bark, growl”). Cognate with Scots reithe, reythe, reth (“rethe”), Old High German ruod (“a roar”), Middle High German rüeden (“to be noisy”), Bavarian rüeden (“to be noisy, roar, be in heat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /riːð/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Adjective

rethe (comparative rether or more rethe, superlative rethest or most rethe)

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) (of persons) Fierce; cruel; savage; stern; zealous; ardent; keen.
2. (Now chiefly dialectal) (of things) Terrible; dreadful; severe.

Derived terms

• retheness

Adverb

rethe (comparative rether or more rethe, superlative rethest or most rethe)

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) Furiously; violently; wildly.

Anagrams

• Ehret, Ether, Reeth, ether, theer, there, three

Middle English

Adjective

rethe

1. Alternative form of reth