Use the verb redound in formal situations to mean “contribute” or “have an effect.” You could tell your friend that his patience with unruly children will redound to his reputation as a good school bus driver.

Redound shows up only in the most formal speech and writing, but it’s a good way to describe an effect on someone’s good name or prestige. Your travels around Asia will redound to your fame as an adventurous traveler, while your unwillingness to talk to your neighbors could redound to your unfriendly reputation. Originally, redound described something that overflows which is the meaning of the Latin root word, redundare.