Reams — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun plural noun /ˈrēm/

Meaning & Definition of Reams

Reams (verb)

  1. to widen the opening of (a hole), countersink
  2. to enlarge, shape, or smooth out (a hole) with a reamer
  3. to enlarge the bore of (something, such as a gun) in this way

Reams (noun)

  1. a quantity of paper being 20 quires or variously 480, 500, or 516 sheets
  2. a great amount —usually used in plural

Reams (plural noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a considerable amount

    "I have reams of paperwork to do before I can leave today"

    similar: abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful, gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, multiplicity, myriad, oodles, pack, passel, peck, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, scads, sheaf, shipload, sight, slew, spate, stack, store, ton, truckload, volume, wad, wealth, yard, all kinds (of), quite a bit
    related: epidemic, plague, rash, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, plethora, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, overflow, army, bevy, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mob, multitude, press, score, sea, swarm, throng, gazillion, jillion, kazillion, million, thousands, trillion, zillion
    opposite: ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen, speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, taste, touch, trace
    near: atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote, nubbin, particle, ray, scintilla, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, smatter, smattering, dash, drop, morsel, shot, piece, portion, section, absence, dearth, famine, lack, paucity, poverty, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want, deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency, meagerness, scantiness, scantness, skimpiness

Reams (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to rob by the use of trickery or threats

    "reamed a whole new generation of suckers with a variation of the Ponzi scheme"

    similar: beats, bilks, bleeds, cheats, chisels, chouses, cons, cozens, defrauds, diddles, does, does in, euchres, fiddles, fleeces, flimflams, gaffs, hoses (slang), hustles, mulcts, nobbles (British slang), plucks, rips off, rooks, screws, shakes down, shortchanges, shorts, skins, skunks, squeezes, sticks, stiffs, stings, suckers, swindles, thimblerigs, victimizes, sells a bill of goods to, takes for a ride, takes to the cleaners
    related: extorts, wrenches, wrests, wrings, clips, gouges, nicks, overcharges, soaks, exploits, milks, deceives, dupes, fools, gulls, tricks, ropes (in), betrays, bitches, double-crosses, bamboozles, fast-talks

Related Entry: Ream (verb)

Ream is a different word from Reams. The synonyms below are for ream, not for reams.

  1. to rob by the use of trickery or threats

    "reamed a whole new generation of suckers with a variation of the Ponzi scheme"

    similar: beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, chouse, con, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fiddle, fleece, flimflam, gaff, hose (slang), hustle, mulct, nobble (British slang), pluck, rip off, rook, screw, shake down, short, shortchange, skin, skunk, squeeze, stick, stiff, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, victimize, sell a bill of goods to, take for a ride, take to the cleaners
    related: extort, wrench, wrest, wring, clip, gouge, nick, overcharge, soak, exploit, milk, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick, rope (in), betray, bitch, double-cross, bamboozle, fast-talk

Related Entry: Ream (out) (verb)

Ream (out) is a different word from Reams. The synonyms below are for ream (out), not for reams.

  1. to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings

    "you are so going to get reamed out when the boss learns that you wrecked the company car"

    similar: baste, bawl out, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chew out, dress down, flay, hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste, lecture, rag, rail (at or against), rant (at), rate, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, scold, score, tongue-lash, upbraid, lay into, read the riot act (to), take to task
    related: admonish, chide, remonstrate (with), reprove, abuse, assail, attack, bad-mouth, blame, blast, censure, condemn, criticize, crucify, denounce, dis (slang), excoriate, fault, harangue, knock, lace (into), lash, pan, reprehend, revile, scourge, slam, vituperate, belittle, disparage, mock, put down, ridicule, scoff, scorn
    near: approve, endorse, sanction, extol, laud, praise

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Reams

The most common words with a similar meaning to Reams:

Chiefly British: lashings
Slang: hoses
British slang: nobbles
abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful, gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, multiplicity, myriad, oodles, pack, passel, peck, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, scads

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Reams

Words with the opposite meaning of Reams:

ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen, speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, taste

Related Words for Reams

epidemic, plague, rash, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, plethora, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, overflow, army, bevy, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host

Near Antonyms of Reams

atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote, nubbin, particle, ray, scintilla, scrap, shred, tittle, whit, smatter, smattering, dash, drop, morsel, shot, piece, portion, section

Word Forms of Reams

Inflections: reamed, reaming

Origin & Etymology of Reams

perhaps from Middle English *remen to open up, from Old English rēman; akin to Old English rȳman to open up, rūm space room

First known use: 1815

Frequently Asked Questions about Reams

What does "Reams" mean?

"Reams" means to widen the opening of (a hole), countersink. As an a verb, a noun and a plural noun, it is defined as: to widen the opening of (a hole), countersink. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Reams"?

Other words for "Reams" include abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle and bushel. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Reams" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Reams"?

There are 164 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Reams". Common alternatives include abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload and chunk.

What is the opposite of "Reams"?

Antonyms of "Reams" include ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful and hint. Near antonyms include atom, crumb, dot and fleck.

How do you use "Reams" in a sentence?

Examples of "Reams" in a sentence: "I have reams of paperwork to do before I can leave today"; "reamed a whole new generation of suckers with a variation of the Ponzi scheme".

Is "Reams" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Reams" can be used as a verb, a noun and a plural noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Reams"?

"Reams" is pronounced /ˈrēm/.

What is the origin of the word "Reams"?

"Reams" comes from perhaps from Middle English *remen to open up, from Old English rēman; akin to Old English rȳman to open up, rūm space room. First known use: 1815.