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Riposte vs Repartee - What's the difference?

riposte | repartee |

As nouns the difference between riposte and repartee

is that riposte is a thrust given in return after parrying an attack while repartee is a swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing.

As verbs the difference between riposte and repartee

is that riposte is to attempt to hit an opponent after parrying an attack while repartee is to reply with a repartee.

riposte

English

Alternative forms

* ripost

Noun

(en noun)
  • (fencing) a thrust given in return after parrying an attack.
  • a quick and usually witty response to a taunt, a retort
  • an answer or reply, rapidly uttered, in response to a question or problem
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=September 7 , author=Dominic Fifield , title=England start World Cup campaign with five-goal romp against Moldova , work=The Guardian citation , page= , passage=Some context is required. Moldova were weak at the back and blunt up front, and have failed to score in six matches stretching back to last October, with only hints at English complacency offering them glimpses of summoning a riposte .}}

    Verb

    (ripost)
  • (fencing) to attempt to hit an opponent after parrying an attack.
  • to respond quickly; particularly if the response is humorous.

    • Anagrams

    * (l), (l), (l), (l) ----

    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

    * *