Standard Lemma guide

ree

adj · name · noun · verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɹiː/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iː
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Wild; fierce; outrageous; overexcited; frenzied; delirious; crazy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Befuddled with liquor; half-drunk; tipsy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

name

Meaning 3

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Alternative form of rei (“Portuguese real”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A state of befuddlement; intoxication.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A state of great excitement or frenzy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A small river or stream.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Essex, dialectal, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A period of stormy or unsettled weather, especially one occurring somewhat predictably at a particular time of year.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland, Shetland, especially

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Initialism of rare earth element.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To become extremely excited; fly into a rage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To drive into a state of excitement; fire with enthusiasm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To riddle; to sift; to separate or throw off.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, dialectal, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English rei, reh, reoh, from Old English hrēoh (“rough, fierce, wild, angry, disturbed, troubled, stormy, tempestuous”), from Proto-Germanic *hreuhaz (“bad, wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *krewh2- (“raw meat, fresh blood”). Cognate with Scots ree, rae, ray (“ree”), Old Saxon hrē (“evil, bad, angry”), Gothic 𐌹𐌽𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (inrauhtjan, “to become angry, rage against”). Related to Old English hrēaw (“raw, uncooked”). More at raw.

* As an English and Scottish surname, variant of Rea, Ray. * As a Norwegian surname, from the name of several farmsteads, from an obsolete Old Norse word meaning "gravelly ridge." * As a Korean surname, variant of Ri, itself a variant of Yi.

Of obscure origin. Perhaps from a rebracketing of ea with Old English þære, i.e. þære ēa becoming the ree. Alternatively, perhaps a variant (like rye, found in the placename Rye) of rith.

From Old Norse hríð (“storm”), whence also Norwegian Nynorsk ri (“period with harsh weather”).

Compare riddle (“a sieve”).