repartee

noun

rep·ar·tee ˌre-pər-ˈtē How to pronounce repartee (audio)

-ˌpär-,

-ˈtā

: a quick and witty reply

: a succession or interchange of clever retorts : amusing and usually light sparring with words

: adroitness and cleverness in reply : skill in repartee

Did you know?

One person often noted for her repartee was Dorothy Parker, writer and legendary member of the Algonquin Round Table. Upon hearing that Calvin Coolidge had died, she replied, "How can they tell?" The taciturn Coolidge obviously didn't have a reputation for being the life of the party, but he himself came out with a particularly famous repartee on one occasion. When a dinner guest approached him and told him she had bet someone she could get him to say more than two words, he replied, "You lose." Repartee, our word for such a quick, sharp reply (and for skill with such replies) comes from the French repartie, of the same meaning. Repartie itself is formed from the French verb repartir, meaning "to retort."

Example Sentences

The two comedians engaged in witty repartee. that repartee to the reporter's question drew laughs from the bystanders

Recent Examples on the Web Ultimately, the humor comes from the rapid-fire repartee between best friends Keeley and Rebecca.

Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2022 President Biden — who had remained silent during the repartee — finally, at the urging of his fellow leaders, swiveled his chair around and smiled for the photo.

Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 26 June 2022 This kind of cheeky repartee with an all-too-eager audience was on full display throughout Saturday night’s affair.

Stephen Daw, Billboard, 21 Aug. 2022 Presence, work-the-stage chops, and spicy repartee at which Presley excelled still exist in pop and hip-hop, of course: See Harry Styles, Lizzo, and Doja Cat.

David Browne, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2022 One was a tidy, careful and empty-space minimalist; the other, a voracious maximalist, with something (a lot) to say about everything and ever ready with a cutting repartee.

Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 Wittiest line/exchange: This film is short on witty repartee—and words in general.

Liana Schaffner, Town & Country, 30 June 2022 The language of the play moves between the vernacular and the elevated, informed by the repartee of TV sitcoms as well as by the poetry of William Blake.

Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 19 June 2022 Matafeo is a comedic delight, a master of both physical high jinks and witty repartee who deserves to catch the eye of Emmy voters.

Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 15 June 2022 See More

repartee

noun

as in retort

a quick witty response that repartee to the reporter's question drew laughs from the bystanders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

retort
riposte
insult
quip
comeback
wisecrack
witticism
zinger
squelch
back talk
sally
put-down
cut
crack

as in banter

good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks I wish we weren't many miles apart, as repartee is harder to do with text messaging

Synonyms & Similar Words

banter
badinage
laugh
joke
jesting
humorousness
raillery
joshing
persiflage
humor
chaff
ribbing
chatter
quip
wit
wisecrack
witticism
backchat
barb
pleasantry
give-and-take
funniness
gambit
wordplay
sally
gag
facetiousness
mocking
drollness
waggery
razzing
richness
ridiculing
gossip
nothings
kidding
jest
chitchat
hilariousness
dig
fooling
crack
small talk

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of repartee are humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, and wit. While all these words mean "a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement," repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily.

a dinner guest noted for repartee

The synonyms humor and repartee are sometimes interchangeable, but humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.

a sense of humor

While the synonyms irony and repartee are close in meaning, irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.

the irony of the title

In some situations, the words sarcasm and repartee are roughly equivalent. However, sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.

given to heartless sarcasm

The meanings of satire and repartee largely overlap; however, satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.

a satire on the Congress

While in some cases nearly identical to repartee, wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous.

a playful wit

单词	repartee
释义	repartee noun rep·ar·tee ˌre-pər-ˈtē -ˌpär-, -ˈtā 1 a : a quick and witty reply b : a succession or interchange of clever retorts : amusing and usually light sparring with words 2 : adroitness and cleverness in reply : skill in repartee Did you know? One person often noted for her repartee was Dorothy Parker, writer and legendary member of the Algonquin Round Table. Upon hearing that Calvin Coolidge had died, she replied, "How can they tell?" The taciturn Coolidge obviously didn't have a reputation for being the life of the party, but he himself came out with a particularly famous repartee on one occasion. When a dinner guest approached him and told him she had bet someone she could get him to say more than two words, he replied, "You lose." Repartee, our word for such a quick, sharp reply (and for skill with such replies) comes from the French repartie, of the same meaning. Repartie itself is formed from the French verb repartir, meaning "to retort." Synonyms comeback retort riposte See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The two comedians engaged in witty repartee. that repartee to the reporter's question drew laughs from the bystanders Recent Examples on the Web Ultimately, the humor comes from the rapid-fire repartee between best friends Keeley and Rebecca. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2022 President Biden — who had remained silent during the repartee — finally, at the urging of his fellow leaders, swiveled his chair around and smiled for the photo. Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 26 June 2022 This kind of cheeky repartee with an all-too-eager audience was on full display throughout Saturday night’s affair. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 21 Aug. 2022 Presence, work-the-stage chops, and spicy repartee at which Presley excelled still exist in pop and hip-hop, of course: See Harry Styles, Lizzo, and Doja Cat. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2022 One was a tidy, careful and empty-space minimalist; the other, a voracious maximalist, with something (a lot) to say about everything and ever ready with a cutting repartee. Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 Wittiest line/exchange: This film is short on witty repartee—and words in general. Liana Schaffner, Town & Country, 30 June 2022 The language of the play moves between the vernacular and the elevated, informed by the repartee of TV sitcoms as well as by the poetry of William Blake. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 19 June 2022 Matafeo is a comedic delight, a master of both physical high jinks and witty repartee who deserves to catch the eye of Emmy voters. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 15 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology French repartie, from repartir to retort, from Middle French, from re- + partir to divide — more at part First Known Use 1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1a repartee noun 1 as in retort a quick witty response that repartee to the reporter's question drew laughs from the bystanders Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance retort riposte insult quip comeback wisecrack witticism zinger squelch back talk sally put-down cut crack 2 as in banter good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks I wish we weren't many miles apart, as repartee is harder to do with text messaging Synonyms & Similar Words banter badinage laugh joke jesting humorousness raillery joshing persiflage humor chaff ribbing chatter quip wit wisecrack witticism backchat barb pleasantry give-and-take funniness gambit wordplay sally gag facetiousness mocking drollness waggery razzing richness ridiculing gossip nothings kidding jest chitchat hilariousness dig fooling crack small talk Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of repartee are humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, and wit. While all these words mean "a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement," repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily. a dinner guest noted for repartee The synonyms humor and repartee are sometimes interchangeable, but humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness. a sense of humor While the synonyms irony and repartee are close in meaning, irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed. the irony of the title In some situations, the words sarcasm and repartee are roughly equivalent. However, sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound. given to heartless sarcasm The meanings of satire and repartee largely overlap; however, satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature. a satire on the Congress While in some cases nearly identical to repartee, wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous. a playful wit
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repartee

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

noun

Synonym Chooser