Standard Lemma guide

repartee

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˌɹɛpɑɹˈteɪ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɹɛpɑːˈtiː/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R EH2 P ER0 T IY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: joke

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A conversation marked by a series of witty retorts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A skill in replying swiftly and wittily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To reply with a repartee.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To have a repartee (a conversation marked by witty retorts or replies).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

adroitness and cleverness in reply

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wit, humor, humour, witticism, wittiness

Narrower terms: banter, raillery, give-and-take, backchat

History

Etymology

From French repartie, a deverbal of repartir (“to retort”).

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: остроумен отговор (ostroumen otgovor) — swift witty retort
  • Czech: pohotová odpověď — swift witty retort
  • Czech: trefná replika — swift witty retort
  • Dutch: gevat antwoord — swift witty retort
  • Dutch: repliek — swift witty retort
  • French: repartie — swift witty retort
  • German: schlagfertige Antwort — swift witty retort
  • German: Konter — swift witty retort
  • Hungarian: riposzt — swift witty retort
  • Hungarian: visszavágás — swift witty retort
  • Norwegian: vittighet — swift witty retort
  • Polish: pocisk — swift witty retort
  • Polish: replika — swift witty retort
  • Polish: riposta — swift witty retort
  • Russian: остроу́мный отве́т (ostroúmnyj otvét) — swift witty retort
  • Serbo-Croatian: prepucavanje — swift witty retort
  • Swedish: fyndighet — swift witty retort
  • Swedish: kvickhet — swift witty retort
  • Swedish: slagfärdighet — swift witty retort
  • Swedish: kvick replik — swift witty retort
  • Swedish: rappt svar — swift witty retort
  • Swedish: raljerande — swift witty retort
  • Tagalog: patnig — swift witty retort
  • Turkish: nükte — swift witty retort
  • Turkish: espri — swift witty retort
  • German: Schlagabtausch — conversation marked by swift witty retorts
  • German: Geplänkel — conversation marked by swift witty retorts
  • Hungarian: szópárbaj — conversation marked by swift witty retorts
  • Italian: botta e risposta — conversation marked by swift witty retorts
  • Polish: błyskotliwa wymiana zdań — conversation marked by swift witty retorts
  • Dutch: gevatheid — skill in making swift witty retorts
  • German: Schlagfertigkeit — skill in making swift witty retorts
  • Polish: umiejętność ripostowania — skill in making swift witty retorts
  • German: schlagfertig antworten — to reply with a swift witty retort
  • Hungarian: visszavág — to reply with a swift witty retort
  • Hungarian: riposztoz — to reply with a swift witty retort
  • Polish: pociskać — to reply with a swift witty retort
  • Polish: pocisnąć — to reply with a swift witty retort
  • Polish: ripostować — to reply with a swift witty retort
  • Polish: zripostować — to reply with a swift witty retort
  • German: sich einen Schlagabtausch m liefern — to have a conversation marked by swift witty retorts
  • Polish: prowadzić błyskotliwą wymianę zdań — to have a conversation marked by swift witty retorts