To return is to turn back, and to rewrite is to write again. re- means “back” or “again.” To descend is to climb down, and to depart is to go away. de- means “down,” “away” or “from,” and sometimes “completely.”
Key idea
re- = back, again. de- = down, away, from; sometimes completely.
These two are among the most common prefixes in English: twenty words on the list start with re- and sixteen with de-. Many de- words describe putting someone down: deride (laugh down at), denigrate (blacken), denounce (speak against).
The parts and their words
Words taken apart
| Word and meaning | Parts, and what they say |
|---|---|
| revive to bring back to life or use | re- again + viv live + -e → “live again” |
| rejuvenate to make young or fresh again | re- again + juven young + -ate → “make young again” |
| recurrent happening again and again | re- back, again + curr run + -ent → “running back again” |
| reclusive avoiding the company of others | re- away + clus shut + -ive → “shut away” |
| relinquish to give up | re- behind + linqu leave + -ish → “leave behind” |
| dejected sad and discouraged | de- down + ject throw + -ed → “thrown down” |
| deduce to reach a conclusion by reasoning | de- from + duc lead + -e → “lead from (the facts)” |
| denigrate to criticize unfairly; to belittle | de- completely + nigr black + -ate → “blacken” |
| deride to mock and make fun of | de- down + rid laugh + -e → “laugh down at” |
Worked example: Use the parts
Usually chatty, Rosa was reticent about her plans and would say nothing. What does reticent mean?
- Take it apart: re- (back) + tic (be silent, from Latin tacere, as in tacit) + -ent.
- Literally: “keeping silent back,” holding words back.
- The sentence fits: she would say nothing.
Answer: Not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily.
Meet the words
Common mistake
Assuming re- always means “again.” In reticent, reclusive and relinquish it means back or away: a reclusive person shuts themselves away, not again. And de- can mean “completely”: to devastate is to lay waste completely.