Meaning & use
reversed
Last updated
“reversed” is a form of “reverse”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Turned the other way round, so that the order, direction or position is the opposite of what is usual.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a reversed image; the order is reversed.
Patterns
- in reversed order
- a reversed image
The mirror showed a reversed image of the sign.
The names appear in reversed order on the second list.
He wore his cap reversed, with the peak at the back.
verbtransitive
Changed something into its opposite, or undid it, such as a decision, a trend or a result.
Grammar: Takes an object: the board reversed its decision.
Patterns
- reverse a decision
- reverse a trend
The council reversed its decision after hundreds of residents complained.
The new treatment reversed the damage to her hearing.
Both teams reversed their roles for the second half of the exercise.
verbtransitivelegal
Overturned a lower court's judgment, so that the earlier verdict no longer stands.
Grammar: Takes an object: the appeals court reversed the ruling.
Patterns
- reverse a ruling
- reverse a conviction
The appeals court reversed the conviction last spring.
The higher court reversed the ruling because of errors in the trial.
verbtransitive or intransitiveBritish
Moved a vehicle backward, or drove in the opposite direction to the usual one.
Grammar: Can have an object or not: she reversed the van; he reversed into the space.
Patterns
- reverse into something
- reverse out of something
She reversed the van carefully into the narrow driveway.
He reversed out of the car park without checking the mirror.
Word forms
| base form | reverse |
|---|---|
| third person singular | reverses |
| -ing form | reversing |
Common combinations
- reversed the decision
- The school reversed the decision and allowed the trip to go ahead.
- reversed the trend
- New jobs reversed the trend of people leaving the town.
- reversed order
- The results were printed in reversed order, with the winner last.
- reversed roles
- After the accident their roles reversed, and the son cared for his father.
- reversed course
- The company reversed course after its customers protested.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overturned
- Overturned fits courts and decisions and suggests a firm cancellation, while reversed can also mean turned round.
- inverted
- Inverted means turned upside down or inside out, which is narrower than reversed.
- flipped
- Flipped is informal and suggests a quick turn over or a sudden change of position.
- switched
- Switched suggests exchanging two things or changing to another option, and does not by itself imply going to the exact opposite.
Opposites
Word family
- reverse verb
- to turn or change to the opposite
- reversal noun
- a change to the opposite direction, position or result
- reversible adjective
- able to be turned or undone, or wearable on both sides
- irreversible adjective
- impossible to change back
Commonly confused: reversed or reserved? reversed or inverted?
reversed vs reserved
Reserved means kept for someone or shy and quiet; reversed means turned the other way or overturned.
reversed vs inverted
Inverted means upside down, whereas reversed can also mean back to front or in opposite order.
Practice
After new evidence appeared, the appeals court ______ the earlier verdict.
Choose one answer.
To reverse a verdict is to overturn it. Upheld means confirmed, which is the opposite, and reserved and repeated do not describe what a higher court does to a decision.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reversed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.