What does “reset button” mean in English?

Move Your Body, Change Your Mind

WhatsAppGmailTelegramEmail

A2 English listening practice · American English · Picked for people who know a little

💡 Did you know?
reset button
English everyday phrase
Something that helps you start over and feel better again

When you press a “reset button” on a machine, it goes back to the start and begins again. In everyday English, people use this phrase for feelings and energy, not just machines. In this clip about exercise, the speaker says movement is “a reset button for your nervous system.” This means that moving your body can help your brain feel calm and clear again, like starting over after a hard moment.

People use “reset button” in many ways in modern English. You might hear: “I took a walk to hit the reset button,” or “A good night’s sleep is my reset button.” The most common verb in this phrase is “hit” — “hit the reset button.” You can also say “press the reset button” or “push the reset button.” All three are correct. A close phrase is “start over,” which means to begin again with a new feeling. Both are casual and very common in health and motivation talk.

How common are the words?

How common are the words in this A2 English listening practice video?

88.9%
of words are in the top 2,000 most common English words
Most of the words in this video are common English words.

How common in written English

82%
Top 1,000
88.9%
Top 2,000
98.4%
Top 5,000

How common in spoken English

87.5%
Top 1,000
94.3%
Top 2,000
100%
Top 5,000
👄 Words for talking
This video uses words people often say in English.

Harder words in this video

These words are harder than A2. Here is what they mean.

emotionally
1×
Not in top 5,000
related to feelings or emotions
reset
1×
Not in top 5,000
to set again or restore
sharpen
1×
Not in top 5,000
to make sharper or clearer

Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.

See American English Videos You Can Understand on Reelang

Open English page