What does reap mean?
Reap is a verb meaning to cut and gather crops such as grain, wheat, or other produce at harvest time. It can also mean to collect or obtain benefits, rewards, or consequences, often in figurative expressions such as “reap the rewards of your efforts.” The literal sense is traditional and agricultural, while the figurative sense is widely understood in formal writing, journalism, and everyday speech. The familiar proverb “You reap what you sow” uses the word to connect harvesting with consequences: choices and actions tend to generate corresponding results. Reap contrasts with sow, which refers to planting seeds and beginning a crop. Although the word can sound literary in some contexts, it remains standard and understandable in both British and American English.
To cut and gather crops, especially grain, in the process of harvesting.
"Workers reaped the wheat by hand before the storm arrived."
The literal sense is especially associated with agriculture and traditional harvesting.
To collect or obtain benefits, rewards, or consequences.
"The company reaped substantial profits from its international expansion."
This figurative sense is common in formal and idiomatic English.
The proverb “You reap what you sow” links harvesting with the results of our choices.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reap come from?
Reap comes from Old English rēpan, meaning “to gather crops” or “to harvest.” The word is related to older Germanic forms in which the sense concerned cutting or gathering grain. Its modern figurative meanings developed by analogy with the idea of collecting a harvest, so that a person “reaps” the benefits or consequences of earlier actions.
Related word forms
How reap is actually used
The word is common in both literal and figurative contexts. Its figurative use is often associated with a moral or proverbial idea that actions produce consequences.
Easily confused with reap
Reap means to gather crops or benefits, whereas rip means to tear, cut, or become mature.