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Rhetoric vs Repartee - What's the difference?

rhetoric | repartee |

As nouns the difference between rhetoric and repartee

is that rhetoric is the art of using language, especially public speaking, as a means to persuade while repartee is a swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing.

As an adjective rhetoric

is .

As a verb repartee is

to reply with a.

rhetoric

Alternative forms

* rhetorick (obsolete)

Adjective

  • Noun

  • The art of using language, especially public speaking, as a means to persuade.
  • Meaningless language with an exaggerated style intended to impress.
  • It’s only so much rhetoric .

    Usage notes

    * Adjectives often applied to "rhetoric": political, legal, visual, classical, ancient, violent, empty, inflammatory, hateful, heated, fiery, vitriolic, angry, overheated, extreme.

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    Derived terms

    * rhetorical * rhetorician

    See also

    * preterition *

    Anagrams

    *

    repartee

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing.
  • * 1919 ,
  • A slight smile broke on his lips. ¶ "You are always prepared to sacrifice your principles for a repartee ," he answered.
  • * 1851 , (Herman Melville), (Moby-Dick)
  • Yet habit—strange thing! what cannot habit accomplish?—Gayer sallies, more merry mirth, better jokes, and brighter repartees , you never heard over your mahogany
  • A conversation marked by a series of witty retorts.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

  • To reply with a
  • * {{quote-book, year=1862, author=Various, section=Vol. 2 No 4, title=The Continental Monthly, chapter=, edition= citation
  • , passage=Aubrey speaks of him as 'incomparable at reparteeing , the bull that was bayted, his witt beinge most sparkling, when most set on and provoked.' }}
  • To have a (conversation marked by repartees)
  • * {{quote-book, year=1913, author=Gouverneur Morris, title=The Penalty, chapter=, edition= citation
  • , passage=To see them together, friendly, reparteeing , chummy, would turn your stomach--Barbara so exquisite and high-born, and the man, his eyes full of evil fires, sitting like a great toad on the model's chair. }}

    Anagrams

    * *