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riscattare

to redeem

verb ree-skat-TAH-reh Rare
Mind & Emotions Values

Origin: From Vulgar Latin 'reexcaptare' (to recapture).

Also means

to ransom, to buy back

Usage Note

Riscattare covers the concrete act of paying a ransom (riscattare un ostaggio, 'to ransom a hostage') and the abstract sense of moral or sporting redemption (riscattarsi dopo una sconfitta, 'to redeem oneself after a defeat'). It takes avere as auxiliary; the reflexive riscattarsi expresses self-redemption. A related noun is il riscatto (ransom; redemption), common in sports journalism after a comeback victory.

Examples

"Ha giocato benissimo per riscattarsi dalla sconfitta."

Natural Translation

He played brilliantly to redeem himself after the defeat.

Literal Translation

He-has played very-well to redeem-himself from the defeat.

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