requite

1
as in to compensate
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury the company requited the employee who had fallen on the ice while leaving work by promptly paying all his medical bills, hoping that would stave off a lawsuit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to avenge
to punish in kind the wrongdoer responsible for the future writer would later requite the abuse he suffered at the hands of his classmates by creating scathing portraits of them in his novels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb requite contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of requite are reciprocate, retaliate, and return. While all these words mean "to give back usually in kind or in quantity," requite implies a paying back according to one's preference and often not equivalently.

requited her love with cold indifference

When can reciprocate be used instead of requite?

The words reciprocate and requite can be used in similar contexts, but reciprocate implies a mutual or equivalent exchange or a paying back of what one has received.

reciprocated their hospitality by inviting them for a visit

When is retaliate a more appropriate choice than requite?

In some situations, the words retaliate and requite are roughly equivalent. However, retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

the enemy retaliated by executing their prisoners

When might return be a better fit than requite?

While the synonyms return and requite are close in meaning, return implies a paying or giving back.

returned their call
return good for evil

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of requite Reflecting Lee’s turmoil as he’s tormented by heroin withdrawals and his not entirely requited affection for Allerton, the film is moody, and the sets reflect the interior landscapes of its characters. Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2024 In the book, the main character falls in love with an android that only pretends to requite his feelings. IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023 But his love wasn’t always requited. Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2023 Looks like the love Taylor Swift has for Grey’s Anatomy is fully requited! Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 15 Feb. 2023 An intensity which can be called religious characterizes the devotion shown to their community by literally millions of people who routinely sacrifice — time, money, labor — to remark that devotion; and, using their own language, methods, and skills, to requite the community. William F. Buckley Jr., National Review, 26 Nov. 2020 There’s a lot to requite my love. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 18 Aug. 2020 Employers ought to requite that trust by mandating that their staff who work indoors with other employees are vaccinated for Covid-19. Zachary M. Seward, Quartz, 30 July 2021 Instead, the inciting incidents are all common or garden-variety romantic mishaps — infidelity, unplanned pregnancies, feelings undeclared lest they're not requited. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for requite
Verb
  • Not only does this type of pain point to an underlying injury, pushing through can lead to a secondary injury, because other muscles and tissues absorb extra stress to compensate.
    Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 23 June 2025
  • It was created with a single question in mind: Why do most work boots fail the people who wear them every day? Uncomfortable fits, tight toe boxes, and poor longevity have often left many tradespeople compensating.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Directed by Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus, the film centers on Irene, who attempts to avenge her daughter’s death by traveling through parallel universes to repeatedly kill her daughter’s murderer.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 June 2025
  • Concord-Carlisle avenged its 15-13 loss to the Ghosts on May 6.
    Jason Cooke, Boston Herald, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • These half-century-old awards, which don’t need to be repaid, make a big difference in whether students from families of modest means enroll and stay in college, their supporters say.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • Under the law, customers would remain responsible for whatever costs are approved by PURA, but repay them in smaller monthly installments over a longer period.
    Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Provider taxes States can boost federal Medicaid contributions to their states through what's known as a provider tax, often levying taxes on health care providers, which raises the overall cost of a service and therefore increases the portion reimbursed by the state.
    July 1, CBS News, 1 July 2025
  • Arkansas, Missouri and Texas have already barred Planned Parenthood from getting reimbursed by Medicaid for any kind of health care.
    Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Serve up a board at a party, and have fun sampling all the different flavors with your guests, or whip up a quick flight for a drool-worthy afternoon snack that satisfies all your cravings.
    Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2025
  • Under Chapter 11, creditors, including the IRS, cannot take your primary residence to satisfy debts.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Requite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/requite. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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