riposte
/rɪˈpɒst
/noun
1A quick, clever reply to an insult or criticism.The dialogue, too, feels like piecework, as if the bons mots and ripostes have been assembled from a library of index cards....
- One-liners were bouncing around my head, ripostes to every single barb, especially those from the fat bloke.
- Could the woman who repackaged star quality for the post-Vietnam age do what any successful talk show host has to: pretend to listen to other people while thinking up witty ripostes?
Synonyms
retort, counter, rejoinder, sally, return, retaliation, answer, reply, response
informal comeback
2A quick return thrust in fencing.Forcing the blade aside, he delivered a crushing riposte, thrusting with his weapon towards his midriff....
- His every thrust was blocked or parried, and the riposte that followed each left him with another leaking wound.
- Lex parried his father's attacks without trying too hard and pressed his own ripostes well.
verb
1 [with direct speech] Make a quick, clever reply to an insult or criticism: ‘You’ve got a strange sense of honour,’ Grant riposted...
- ‘Too soon to tell,’ he laconically riposted.
- ‘You and a number of people tried to cash in on the thing and when you didn't get your way, you tried to make sure I didn't get it off the ground,’ the witness riposted.
- To which Reginald riposted: ‘Oh yes you do, if you live in the South Hams, matey.’
Synonyms
retort, counter, rejoin, return, retaliate, hurl back, fling back, snap back, answer, reply, respond, say in response;
round on someone, come back
2 [no object] Make a quick return thrust in fencing.Jack yielded the parry, rolling his wrist into second to protect his right leg, and then jumped back again without riposting....
- They jabbed, parried, charged and riposted with such speed that the blades were indistinguishable blurs of reflected light now that the sun had risen over the horizon.
- He stepped, lunged, parried, riposted, all the movements flowing into the next, a dance of incredible intricacy.
Origin
Early 18th century: from French risposte (noun), risposter (verb), from Italian risposta 'response'.