reciprocate
verb /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt/
/rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they reciprocate | /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt/ /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt/ |
| he / she / it reciprocates | /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪts/ /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪts/ |
| past simple reciprocated | /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪtɪd/ /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪtɪd/ |
| past participle reciprocated | /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪtɪd/ /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form reciprocating | /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪtɪŋ/ /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪtɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to behave or feel towards somebody in the same way as they behave or feel towards you
- reciprocate something Her passion for him was not reciprocated.
- They wanted to reciprocate the kindness that had been shown to them.
- He smiled but his smile was not reciprocated.
- reciprocate something with something He chose to reciprocate the gift with a sample of his own art.
- reciprocate (with something) I wasn't sure whether to laugh or to reciprocate with a remark of my own.
- [intransitive] (specialist) to move backwards and forwards in a straight line
- a reciprocating action
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from Latin reciprocat- ‘moved backwards and forwards’, from the verb reciprocare, from reciprocus (based on re- ‘back’ + pro- ‘forward’).