riposte

noun ri·poste \ ri-ˈpōst \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of riposte

1 : a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry

2 : a retaliatory verbal sally : retort

3 : a retaliatory maneuver or measure

—

riposte

verb

See riposte defined for English-language learners

See riposte defined for kids

Examples of riposte in a Sentence

he's known for having a brilliant riposte to nearly any insult

Recent Examples of riposte from the Web

Get our daily newsletter On February 20th Mr Corbyn issued a video riposte to the story that turned into a broadside against the press.

— The Economist, "Comrade Corbyn’s cold warLabour used to court the tabloids. Now it picks fights with them," 22 Feb. 2018
As recovering addict Jane Margolis, Ritter—a Goth Juliet to Jesse Pinkman’s drug-dealing Romeo—revealed a range well beyond a killer riposte.

— emily gaudette, Newsweek, "What is Jessica Jones's Superpower? A Killer Season 2 Comeback and Krysten Ritter," 27 Feb. 2018
The Cintas Center crowd came alive as Xavier surged back to cut the deficit to three points in the second half, but that was the sum of Xavier’s riposte – a charge led by senior Trevon Bluiett.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "No. 3 Villanova downs No. 4 Xavier basketball in Big East clash, 95-79," 17 Feb. 2018
Detroit’s riposte: Turn the truck into America’s new family car.

— hiroko tabuchi, New York Times, "The World Is Embracing S.U.V.s. That’s Bad News for the Climate.," 3 Mar. 2018
The game was also a strong riposte for the Musketeers following Saturday's home loss to Villanova.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "No. 4 Xavier takes step toward Big East title with 89-77 win at Georgetown," 21 Feb. 2018
The tough criticism, made to an audience of the world’s security elite, including an unsmiling Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, was a European riposte to Trump’s ongoing push for Europe to spend more on defense.

— michael birnbaum, Washington Post, "German defense minister slams Trump’s military-heavy approach to security," 16 Feb. 2018
The film’s frivolous sci-fi technology and gladiatorial fisticuffs can only assuage this moral betrayal momentarily — through cheeky ripostes about imperialism.

— armond white, National Review, "Black Panther’s Circle of Hype," 16 Feb. 2018
Investors and analysts following the to-and-fro on Capitec were left perplexed by the accusations, the bank’s riposte and the central bank’s statement.

— franz wild, Bloomberg.com, "Trader Who Shorted Steinhoff Leaves Capitec Rattled and South Africa Confused," 30 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'riposte.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In the sport of fencing, a riposte is a counterattack made after successfully fending off one's opponent. English speakers borrowed the name for this particular maneuver from French in the early 1700s, but the French had simply modified Italian risposta, which literally means "answer." Ultimately these words come from the Latin verb respondēre meaning "to respond." It seems fitting that "riposte" has since come full circle to now refer to a quick and witty response performed as a form of retaliation.