A reprieve is a temporary escape from something difficult or unpleasant. When a teacher gives your class a reprieve from homework over the weekend, she's letting you off the hook for a little while. When a governor grants a prisoner a reprieve from execution, the punishment is delayed, possibly giving time for new evidence to emerge.

Today we use it more broadly. If you've been studying hard for weeks, a snow day might feel like a welcome reprieve. When it stops raining briefly during recess, that's a reprieve from being stuck indoors.

A reprieve isn't usually permanent: it's a pause, not a cancellation. If your teacher gives you a reprieve from that book report, you'll probably still have to write it eventually. But sometimes that breathing room makes all the difference. A reprieve gives you time to rest, rethink, or prepare before facing the challenge again.